ERICA DUNOMES

Two days ago, I celebrated my second year of life after turning the big 4-0. In my thirties, I remember wondering what I would feel like when I finally turned that number. And when the day came, all I could really feel was grateful, thankful, and way beyond blessed. Why? Because I was still alive. Especially after having brought that year in with Covid. Since then, I have been on a journey to better health overall. And if better health is a goal of yours too, then here are 3 things that you can do to be a more healthy you.

1. Protect the health of your mind.

Mind health aka mental health is so important to being a more healthy you. There is an enemy who strategically loves to attack your mind, and you must be on guard against him.

The Word of God says that he is a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The first thing he will do, if you let him is come for your mind. How? By planting thoughts of lies and deception.

His number one strategy is to sow seeds of toxic thoughts that make you doubt that God is real and that what He said in His word isn’t true. If he can do that, then he knows he can keep you blind to the promises God has for your life.

One promise is that in Christ, God gives you power and weapons to defeat and to overcome the devil. So, what is one of those weapons?

• You renew your mind to accept the perfect will of God.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ~Romans 12:2

To renew your mind to accept God’s will, you must know what His Word says concerning you. To know what His Word says concerning you, you must have His Holy Spirit abiding in you. To have His Holy Spirit abiding in you, you must first accept His Son, Jesus, as your Savior and Lord.

Accepting Jesus as your Savior and Lord brings you into a covenant relationship with God which causes all of His promises to be activated in your life. Another promise God has is that He provides you help by way of a Helper whose name is Holy Spirit.

Can I just be truly honest and straightforward with you for a minute? First, your thoughts matter to God. Second, good mental health does not come apart from God and without the help of His Holy Spirit to combat the toxic thoughts of the enemy. If you’re ever going to be truly successful at that, you will need help. The Holy Spirit is your promised Helper (John 14:16,26; 15:26). Again, to have Him, you must have Jesus (John 14:6).

Have your ever heard of or do you remember the saying, “Got Milk”? Well, milk is said to be good for your bones, right? I’d like for us to apply that analogy to Jesus. Got Jesus? When you have Jesus, you will have good mental health.

Now, I don’t mean that the issues and struggles of your mind are just going to magically go away. There is work you will have to do on your part. However, with God, you won’t have to do it alone. He will be there to help you.

For a deeper confirmation on this topic, take a moment to watch this video by Dr. Caroline Leaf on the importance of renewing your mind.

2. Protect the health of your soul.

Here’s the deal, you are a soul and you have been made alive by the very breath of God. And just as the health of your mind matters, so does the health of your soul. When God first created man, the Word says that He formed him and made him a living soul.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. ~Genesis 2:7

Having a healthy soul is important because your soul is an imperishable thing that was created to last for eternity. It will not wear out or fade away like the body does. And when we are not careful with how we treat our souls, they have the tendency to be corrupted by way of the foolish and wicked ways of this world. So, how do you protect the health of your soul?

• You nourish your soul with the Word of God.

To protect the health of your soul, your soul needs to have a good spiritual foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11). It needs to be rooted and grounded in truth. God’s Word is that truth. His word will ensure that your soul is able to prosper and thrive as it properly should. After all, your soul is your very life given to you by God who created you.

3. Protect the health of your body.

Sis, can I call you that? Here’s a bit of reality for us all. We only have one life to live. And we’ve been given one body to do it in. Now, if you are anything like me, you’ve probably been the most diligent about caring for your mind and your soul while neglecting to properly care for your body, right? It’s okay to tell the truth. No Judgement Zone here!

Well, now is the time to change that. And you can start today. Your physical health is just as important as your mind and soul health.

Think about it, as human beings, we are naturally involved in many things. We work, we have families, and we serve the people of our communities and, as believers, at our local churches. We can’t do any of that without our bodies. We need our bodies for everything.

Did you know that the body you have doesn’t actually belong to you? It belongs to God. He purchased your body by way of the blood of Jesus so that it could be home to His Holy Spirit.

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body. ~1 Corinthians 6:19

I don’t know about you, but for me, that has totally changed the way I desire to operate when it comes to caring for my body. For years already, I have had to bear the weight of the consequences that my actions of neglect have put on my body. I say my because, though it is God’s temple, it is under my care and stewardship. It is currently in my possession. So is yours in your possession.

To protect the health of our bodies, we must first understand what our bodies as temples are. A temple is a holy and sacred place. In the Old Testament, the temple was the place, a building, where the Israelites met with God. It was a holy place, and God expected the Israelites to treat it with honor and respect. Meaning, they couldn’t do just anything in His temple (Exodus 25-27).

Today, however, the temple of God is the people of God. That means you and I, if you are currently a believer in Jesus Christ. This also means the Body of Christ aka the Church which we are a part of.

The same thing that God expected of the Israelites back then, is the same thing He expects of us today. He’s unchanging. So, how do you truly protect the health of your body?

• You treat your body with the utmost respect and honor to and for God.

There’s a key word that I’d like to point out about the Holy Spirit. That word is Holy. Holy in the Greek is Hagios which means sacred. Another word to compare to it is Hagnos which means properly clean that is (figuratively) innocent modest perfect.

Friend, I want to express something to you that most people in the faith probably never even consider. Are you ready?

“God took the purest form of Himself, His Holy …sacred…Spirit, and placed Him inside your earthen body. The reality of that is beyond overwhelming.”

~Erica Dunomes

Having read the quote above, does that change your view even more of how well you should protect the health of your body?

Let’s bring this all home.

Here are some practical ways that we can all protect our minds, souls, and bodies:

1.Show thankfulness to God every day. Here’s what this looks like: (a) Focus on what is good. Say aloud or start a thankfulness journal expressing to God one to three things you’re thankful unto Him for daily. Or, (b) Download my FREE Mind Renewal Journal Pages to begin the process of renewing your mind today.

2. Spend time reading the Word of God. If you’re not sure where to start with your reading, the book of John is a great beginning. And if you’re doubting that the Word of God can actually help you, try this FREE Bible Reading Plan chocked with verses all about the validation of God’s Word.

3. Set healthy boundaries for your soul. Determine what you will allow in and what you will keep out. Detoxify your soul of any and all filth. Be determined that hidden sins, fears, negative words, toxic thoughts and people ALL must go and not be allowed to return.

4. Do what promotes better health. Change your eating habits. Drink more water. Do a 10-minute walk daily. If you need accountability, find a good health coach with a plan to get you started to nourishing and moving your body in a good way.

5. Pray. Pray about the health of your mind, soul, and body. Ask God to show you the way in which He wants you to do this. He’s a wonderful counselor who is full of wisdom. It’s impossible for Him to steer you wrong.

Your mind, soul, and body are all connected to one another. When one is not operating at its best, then the others aren’t operating at their best either. Only you have the power to do something about it. Are you ready to be a healthier you?

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