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When my husband was a runner, he said that the key to running a successful race is to remember that “It’s all mental!” In other words, you can train hard, but if you can’t control your thoughts and emotions during the race, you probably won’t meet your goals. The same is true for us, as believers, as we run the race marked out before us. This is because: Spiritual maturity requires mental stability! In Ephesians 4, we are encouraged to grow in maturity. Living a life worthy of our calling requires that we move beyond infantile thinking. Instead, we are to move toward maturity by focusing on and speaking the truth in love. In the scriptures, there is an interesting phrase that describes the mental stability that is needed for spiritual maturity: sober-minded Sober - not drunk; not affected by alcohol Minded - having the way of thinking To be sober-minded is to have the way of thinking of someone who is not drunk or affected by alcohol. While excessive drinking makes us unstable, uncontrolled, unaware, unwary, and unwise, a sober-minded person is:
According to the scriptures, being sober-minded is important in the Christian life because it helps us to:
In the church, we are taught that to walk as a mature person in the will of God, we must resist living according to the ways of the world by renewing our minds. (Romans 12:1-2, NIV) Renewing our mind requires that we evaluate our thinking and “take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ” so we can demolish strongholds (thoughts, opinion, and arguments against the knowledge of God). (2 Cor 10: 4-5, NIV). This evaluation of our thinking helps us to focus on the truth so we can confidently believe and receive God’s wisdom, rather than being unstable and double-minded. (James 1:5-8, NIV) If we are going to be spiritually mature, we are going to have to engage our minds to be stable in our thinking and believing of the truth.  But have you ever considered that to grow in spiritual maturity you must recruit your body as well? On the one hand, the state of our body may seem minimally important as it is only a temporary vessel. On the other hand, the state of our body is critically important in helping us to be both physically able and mentally stable. God created us as body, mind, and spirit and each of these aspects of our being impacts the other two. The state of your body affects the stability of your mind. What you do with your body - your daily health habits - has an impact on your ability to think clearly and control your emotions, both of which are needed for growth in spiritual maturity. Consider how your daily health habits impact your mental stability: Eating While your brain accounts for about 2% of your body weight, it uses about 20% of the energy produced by your body. For optimal brain function, your body needs whole foods which are good sources of healthy carbohydrates, proteins, and fats as opposed to unhealthy processed foods which can lead to inflammation which can contribute to mood disorders. In addition, it’s estimated that about 95% of your body’s supply of serotonin (a neurotransmitter that acts as a mood stabilizer) is produced by gut bacteria, making the consumption of dietary fiber (from real foods) and fermented foods (sauerkraut, Greek yogurt, sourdough bread) desirable. What you eat is important, but also important is when you eat. We’ve all experienced becoming “hangry” (hungry + angry) - becoming mentally fatigued and emotionally irritated when our blood sugar levels drop. What did you eat yesterday and how did it impact how you felt and functioned mentally and emotionally? Hydrating Your brain is over 70% water and the cells in your brain depend on water to carry out their functions. Even slight dehydration can interfere with clear thinking by making it harder for us to focus and maintain attention. How much water did you drink yesterday, and did it impact your ability to clearly focus on and evaluate your thoughts and emotions? Moving Physical activity decreases stress hormones that can have a negative impact on your mental state. Physical activity also increases the release of endorphins (the “feel good” hormones) that can boost your mood. Physical activity has also been shown to have a positive impact on preventing and managing mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. How much did you move your body yesterday and what impact did it have on your ability to manage your thoughts and emotions, especially when stressed? Resting Adequate sleep is necessary for optimal mental functioning. It’s not without reason that sleep deprivation has been used as an interrogation technique. When we are sleep deprived, we become both physically and mentally exhausted. Adequate sleep is needed so the brain can enable us to concentrate, learn, problem-solve, process emotions and exercise good judgment. How much sleep did you get last night and how did it impact where you are mentally and emotionally today? Spiritual maturity requires mental stability and your daily health habits have an impact on your ability to examine your thoughts and process your emotions. Good Health for Good Works Challenge: Do your health habits help or hinder you in your race toward spiritual maturity? What is one small change you could make today? Sources:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%204&version=NIV https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/sober_1?q=sober https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/minded?q=minded https://desertraingleniece.com/sober-kjv-bible-word-study/ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+5%3A8&version=NIV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+1%3A13-16&version=NIV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+4%3A5&version=ESV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+12%3A1-2&version=NIV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+cor+10%3A4-5&version=NIV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A5-8&version=NIV Comments are closed.
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Welcome!
Ginger Hill is a Christian wellness speaker, coach and consultant and the founder of Good Health for Good Works where she helps the earnest, but often exhausted, workers in Christian organizations to take steps toward healthier living so they can fulfill their organization's mission with energy, excellence and endurance. 
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"But the godly will flourish...Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green."
Psalm 92:12,14 (NLT)
All Contents Copyrighted © Ginger Hill and Good Health for Good Works 2017-2022. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted,
unless otherwise indicated. You may share this website by any of the following means:
1. Provide a back-link or the URL of the content you wish to disseminate.
2. Quote extracts (with context) from the website with attribution to www.goodhealthforgoodworks.org
Psalm 92:12,14 (NLT)
All Contents Copyrighted © Ginger Hill and Good Health for Good Works 2017-2022. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted,
unless otherwise indicated. You may share this website by any of the following means:
1. Provide a back-link or the URL of the content you wish to disseminate.
2. Quote extracts (with context) from the website with attribution to www.goodhealthforgoodworks.org
