By Knox Botsford, Creative Director, Trinity Fellowship Church March 2022

What your spirit truly is.

You know getting regular exercise has great outcomes for your physical health, just as eating well has a major impact on your body’s overall wellness.

But what are you doing for your spirit? Exercise, eating well, mental health care, and even establishing healthy relationships might immediately come to mind when looking for ways to optimize our health and get the most out of life. But the problem is that few consider their spiritual health with the same level of importance. You are made up of different layers of being that all vie for your attention.

These can be broken down into three categories: body, soul, and spirit.

The body is blood, bone and tissue. Drinking enough water, eating healthy meals, and exercising are all ways we can contribute to this layer of our being. When you’re sick or injured, this layer of your being will be demanding more attention than usual. There are also positive reasons your body might demand more attention, such as training for a marathon or being pregnant.

The soul is mind, will, and emotion. Seeing a counselor, meditating, and mitigating stress are ways you can contribute to this layer of being. This layer also includes having healthy relationships, enjoying your work, and liking the place you live. If you live in New York City, for example, but strongly dislike being around large groups of people you might find your soul regularly demands more attention from you. When you’re practiced in caring for your soul, you’ll find you're able to be happier in demeanor and more empathetic towards others.

The spirit refers to the eternal component of you. The part that was created in God’s image. You are more than a body. You are also more than a mind. You’re more than a friend or employee. That “more than” part of you is your spirit. The soul and the spirit live on when the body ceases to exist. How do we contribute to this layer of being and how do we know when it’s crying out for attention?

Recognizing Your Spirit:

Your spirit is who you are. It’s your eternal identity, where you find your divinely created purpose and where your purpose is fulfilled. It longs for more.

• Think of a really epic memory. Your wedding day, a fabulous sunset, an unforgettable trip, the birth of a child, receiving a nice text out of the blue, having a good laugh with friends. That sense of awe. The sense of belonging. The sense of purpose. Remember how you felt. Does your spirit light up a little?
• Alternatively, consider how you feel when overwhelmed, busy, or stressed. Do you get the sense that you kind of ignore your spirit?
• In your daily life, given your current habits, is your spirit more likely to light up or get pushed aside?

We only get one life – one shot here on earth to find and fulfill our purpose, learn to be contented and joyful, and become all God created us to be. And yet, we neglect one gigantic element of self. Even among the religiously affiliated, exercise and eating habits are usually the first things we turn to when we look for ways to improve our lifestyles. We neglect the most important dimension of ourselves – developing our spirit

Spiritual practices you can do from home in 10 minutes or less

• Listen to The Biblecast every M-Th
• Receive personal prayer from a team member at Trinity Fellowship Church
• Listen to this 10-minute meditation
• Pray to God. Start with gratitude, then share every worry or fear with him.
• Consciously choose to forgive someone. You don’t need to let them back into your life, but you can release them from your soul.
• Learn about various spiritual topics in 5 minutes or less 
• Sign up for our 7-Day Devotional
  

Start your journey now to living a healthy life and having a healthy spirit. Join us on our YouTube channel "The Biblecast" for 10 minute bible studies to help you get started.