On Wellness Day and every day: “It’s your life. Live it well.”

Today, as I began my morning devotional with the Lord, I realized that I do not have any online classes today as an adjunct Professor at St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC. I received a reminder that today is “Wellness Day” an opportunity for the St. Augustine’s University community to engage in purposeful rest, recovery, and community activities promoting holistic health and wellness. While thinking about the objectives of Wellness Day, I also thought of a previous blog post on the topic of wellness, which I am revising and reposting here today. I recall words from Judy Sheindlin to serve the Quote of the Day for February 9, 2023:

“It’s your life. Live it well.”

The packet of information I received with that quote provided tips, activities, programs, and services related to health and wellness. Generally speaking, the concept of wellness brings to mind our physical well-being. Perhaps, if pressed, most people might also acknowledge the desire to achieve a state of well-being mentally or emotionally.

We recognize that wellness is a difficult word to define. Charles B. Corbin of Arizona State University offers this definition: “Wellness is a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by quality of life and a sense of well-being.”

Wellness usually connotes “a healthy body and sound mind.” As the old folks used to testify: “I thank God for a reasonable portion of health and strength and that I am clothed in my right mind.” God, our Father, and creator, however, desires for us to experience wholeness, spiritually, mentally, or emotionally, as well as physically. I Thessalonians 5:23 in the New Living Translation reminds us of this truth:

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul, and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

Those who seek to find and maintain wellness physically, mentally, and most importantly, spiritually obtain a priceless treasure. Indeed, they are wealthy beyond belief, as expressed in this personal poetic response:

A Question of Wealth

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper
in all things and be in health,
even as your soul prospers.

3 John 2

How do you measure the fullest meaning of wealth?
What is the total value? How much is the price
Of a fruitful spirit, a sound mind, and good health?
Can you calculate the sum and then square it twice?
To prosper and be in health, even as your soul
Prospers cannot be measured by any amount
Withdrawn from the world’s treasures, for even the whole
Earth could never contain so vast a bank account.
But those who set their affections on things above
And not on things on the earth are free to explore
The infinite riches of God’s favor and love,
For they alone know their true value even more.
The truly rich ask to receive and seek to find
The priceless wealth of strength in God and peace of mind.

Many times when someone asks, “How are you doing; how’s it going?” I will respond, “It is well.” The lyrics to one of the most popular hymns of all time come to mind as we close with this rendition of this timeless classic by Chris Rice:

March Forth on National Grammar Day–March 4th

The fourth day of March is the only day of the year expressed as an imperative sentence given as a command: March Forth! Created by Deborah Shouse, noted writer, speaker and creativity coach, this unofficial holiday invites individuals to march forth into their lives, take on new experiences, and celebrate their accomplishments. In addition, National Grammar Day is also celebrated on March 4.

Sponsored by the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, this annual event points out that “On National Grammar Day, we honor our language and its rules, which help us communicate clearly with each other. In turn, clear communication helps us understand each other—a critical component of peaceful relations.”

Mignon Fogarty, of “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing” fame, comments:
“Language is something to celebrate, and March 4 is the perfect day to do it. It’s not only a date, it’s an imperative: March forth on March 4 to speak well, write well, and help others do the same!”

Most providentially, Dr. J will begin teaching an English Grammar course at Carolina College of Biblical Research in Fayetteville, NC on Tuesday of this week. As students of the Bible, we find an exhortation to “march forth” in the Amplified Bible in Psalm 68:7:

O God, when You went forth before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness—Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!—

Psalm 45:4 also uses another similar expression:

In your majesty ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice; let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.

Today is a day that speaks a command—March Forth—on Sunday, March 4th we will follow the command of the Lord and march forth into victory . . . today.

Now thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and makes manifest the sweet savor of His knowledge by us in every place. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

In the military we hear the command “Forward March. “Forward “is the preparatory command whereby the individual shifts weight to the right foot before stepping out smartly on the left foot with on the command “march.”

A previous blog post points out that as believers we find that we can follow the command to “Forward March” in four areas: Family Life, Finances, Favor, and Faith:

Forward March in Family Life, as we recognize that God sets the solitary and places them in families, and we pray the prayer of Ephesians 3:14-21:

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

In addition, we “Forward March in Finances”:

God’s desire for His people is health and well-being:

3 John 2:

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

The blessings of the Lord makes us rich and adds no sorrow with it. We are blessed that we might be a blessing.

Moreover, we also Forward March in Favor

Where sin did abound, grace (favor) did much more abound.—We are blessed and highly favored in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us:

And God is able to make all grace (favor) abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Finally, we Forward March in Faith, as we move from—Faith to Faith—Victory to Victory.
We follow in the footsteps of faithful Abraham, our Father, the father of Faith
Like Abraham, we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Romans 4:20-21 describes the “Father of Faith” in this way:

20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

And so we march forth on March 4, 2018, as we “Forward March” in four areas: Family Life, Finances, Favor, Faith.

A most appropriate song to close out this blog entry is “Moving Forward” by Israel Houghton:

March Forth on March 4th

The fourth day of March is the only day of the year that is a expressed as an imperative sentence given as a command: March Forth! An Examiner.com article discusses this unofficial holiday that has been created by Deborah Shouse, noted writer, speaker and creativity coach, who invites individuals to march forth into their lives, take on new experiences, and celebrate their accomplishments.

A similar expression to “march forth” is found the Amplified Bible in Psalm 68:7:

 O God, when You went forth before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness—Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!—

Psalm 45:4 also uses a similar verb::

In your majesty ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice; let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.

Today is a day that speaks a command—March Forth—on March 4^th. Today we will follow the command of the Lord and march forth into victory. . . today.

Now thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and makes manifest the sweet savor of His knowledge by us in every place. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

In the military we hear the command “Forward March. “Forward” is the preparatory command whereby the individual shifts weight to the right foot before stepping out smartly on the left foot with on the command “march.”

As believers we find that we can follow the command to “Forward March” in four areas: Family Life, Finances, Favor, and Faith:

Forward March in Family Life, as we recognize that God sets the solitary and places them in families, and we pray the prayer of Ephesians 3:14-21

¹⁴For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁵Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

¹⁶That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

¹⁷That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

¹⁸May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

¹⁹And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fulness of God.

²⁰Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

²¹Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

In addition, we “Forward March in Finances”:

God’s desire for His people is health and well-being:

3 John 2

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

The blessings of the Lord makes us rich and adds no sorrow with it. We are blessed that we might be a blessing.

Moreover, we also Forward March in Favor

Where sin did abound, grace (favor) did much more abound.—We are blessed and highly favored in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us:2

And God is able to make all grace (favor) abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Finally, we Forward March in Faith, as we move from—Faith to Faith—Victory to Victory. We follow in the footsteps of faithful Abraham, our Father, the father of Faith. Like Abraham, we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Romans 4:20-21 describes the “Father of Faith” in this way:

²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

And so we march forth on March 4, 2015, as we “Forward March” in four areas: Family Life, Finances, Favor, and Faith.

An appropriate song to close out this blog entry is “Moving Forward” by Israel Houghton:

3 John 2: A Question of Wealth

Over the last decade, one of the focal points within certain segments of the Church, the Body of Christ, has been material prosperity. The second verse of the third Epistle of John has been among the verses used to support the view that emphasizes God’s desire for believers to experience physical well-being and material wealth—to be “healthy and wealthy.”

3 John 2

 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (KJV)

The English Standard Version offers this expression of the same verse.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

This particular verse brought to mind a poem written as a personal commentary on God’s desire for believers.

A Question of Wealth

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper

in all things and be in health,

 just as your soul prospers.

3  John 2

 

 How do you measure the fullest meaning of wealth?

What is the total value?  How much is the price

Of a fruitful spirit, a sound mind and good health?

Can you calculate the sum and then square it twice?

To prosper and be in health, even as your soul

Prospers cannot be measured by any amount

Withdrawn from the world’s treasures, for even the whole

Earth could never contain so vast a bank account.

But those who set their affections on things above

And not on things on the earth are free to explore

The infinite riches of God’s favor and love,

For they alone know their true value even more.

The truly rich ask to receive and seek to find

The priceless wealth of strength in God and peace of mind.

In taking a closer look at that particular verse and other related scriptures, we find that the longing of God’s heart extends beyond just the physical or material. God’s ultimate desire is that believers experience a state of total well-being: where everywhere and at all times, we abide in peace. This state of total well-being is reflected in the Hebrew expression “shalom” which we understand to be a universal greeting meaning “peace.” As the following comments by the Refiner’s Fire indicate:

‘Shalom’ is used to both greet people and to bid them farewell, and it means much more than “peace, hello or goodbye”…. Hebrew words go beyond their spoken pronunciation. Each Hebrew word conveys feeling, intent and emotion. Shalom is more than just simply peace; it is a complete peace. It is a feeling of contentment, completeness, wholeness, well being and harmony.

According to Strong’s Concordance 7965 Shalom means completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. Shalom comes from the root verb shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full.

The essence of this sublime state of total well-being is expressed in the phrase “It is well.” In its most literal sense, when one is asked, “How is it going?” The response should be “shalom. . . I have peace. . . It is well.” The phrase “It is well” immediately brings to mind one of the most popular hymns of the Christian Church: “It is Well with My Soul.” Listen to a moving rendition of this timeless classic by the Isaacs, who also provide the historical background of the experience that lead to the composing of the song:

 

Despite the circumstances of life, which at times can be most tempestuous, God’s desire is that we be whole or that we be complete, perfect or full or experience total “wellness” or wholeness. God’s will is revealed in 1 Thessalonians 5:23:

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)

Continually God reminds us through His Word that He is the God of peace, who gives peace through the Prince of Peace, through who we are made whole, that we might be complete, perfect or full or experience  total “wellness” or wholeness, that we also might continually proclaim: “It is well with my soul.”