Spiritual Health

The Health Community for the body is strong. Physicians and doctors get regular visits from people battling infirmities. But what about spiritual sickeness? Do many go to priests, pastors, and parisoners for healing? The answer is likely divided up between the 15% that do seek a holyman fornhelo and the larger 85% who do not. The reason for this is a combination of the Relationship over Religion Movement (As called Im not reliious, but I am Spiritual) and ghe fact that a preist od pastor cannot solve the symptoms of spiritual sickness. 

Before we look at why a clergyman cannot cure the spiritual cold, let us define what spiritual sickness is. According to the Orthodox Church, spiritual sickness or illness is caused by a combination of sinful choices and a spiritually dryi life. Orthodox see sin as "missing the mark," and deliberately distorting the icon (image) of God. Sinning after becoming saved does not negate Christ's Sacrifice, but it does harm his image in you and make it harder for the lost to see the Lord in you . This causes spiritual illness , because God, the source of spiritual health is being blocked by a virus of guilt, shame, and disobedience. Only when a Christian confesses the sin, is repentant, and turns from it does the Antibiotics of Almighty God begin to heal our souls and spirit.  

The second spiritual disease is caused not by sin, but a stale spiritual life. If a Christian does not foster thier faiyh ans connect with Christ daily, a dryness like the desert enters the spirit. The medication in this case is the message (God's Word), a prescription of prayer (deep prayer, not a list of needs, but conversing with God) and full dose of fellowship with other Christian believers. If these three do not remedy the illness, then outside council from a Christian Counselor. If still the stale and stifled spiritual life persists it is time to consider if it is Satanic. People from diverse religions will curse Christians and try to cause spiritual illness in order to decieve and convice the Christian that they have the answer or merely to attack a Christian they have targeted because of their dynamism. 

Finally, some spiritual sickness does not heal overnight. Sometimes the Lord Jesus does surgery on our souls and the recovery takes longer. In the Scriptures it say, "The Word of God is alive, it divides soul and spirit like double edged sword or knife." (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus is the Great Physician and he can bring healing to our hearts, spirit and soul. Turn to Him and He can do more than sooth your symptoms of spiritual dryness; He can do surgery and open the heart that has become stone. It says in Isaiah, "By His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5). Christ can heal both body and soul; spirit and mind. If we go to the Source of Spiritual health and healing, we will find there in his presence the peace and rest necessary to recover from the illnesses of the spirit. 

Churches often can compound the problem. Churches under the spirit of religion end up causing a worse disease of spiritual deadness with their traditions, rituals, and rites. What we need is Christ, the Vitamin-C(hrist) for our spiritual cold. 

Spiritual sickness is a srikusnproblem and it cannot be solved by a shotgun approach. In some cases repentance (penitence, contrition, sincere sorry) to God and a change of lifestyle, choices, and attitude. In other cases it requires rekindling the spiritual life via prayer, Bible studying, and fellowship with other Christians. Still in some cases the diagnosis is demonic and the cause curses from wicked people practicing cultic and pagan religions. Then there is the Valley, which cannot be healed until the Lord decides it is time. The Valley is when God tests to see inwe will follow Him even if it means not feeling something spiritual at a meeting, not having visions, not getting revelation from Scripture readings. This is the "deny yourself and pick up your cross and follow me. " (Matthew 16:24). The denying part can be God denying a believer the joy of being on the a mountaintop and getting spiritual food that fills the Christian with a fulfillment onky God can give. The reason God denies this sometimes is to give us a chance to be faithfuk to Him when we are uncomfortable. Its easy ro praise the Lord, pray and peruse the Sceiptures when you are on Cloud Nine spiritually and enjoying a wealth of God's presence. But when you cannot feel the presence of the Almighty, it can be hard to stay disciplined and keep devoutly serving Christ. Some may argue this is unfair of God and testing us is tyrannical. But honestly it is to bring us to a healthier place spiritually. When Jesus Christ was doing His calling, carrying the Cross and was nailed to it wnd hing there do you think he felt comfortable and in his Father's close presence? No! He cried "Eloi Eloi Sabachthani; My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). Jesus felt dry spiritually, but He was in the perfect Will of His Father! And after the excruciating pain of the cross, Jesus would be enthroned at the right hand of the Father; thus elevated in position but also having done the act that saved mankind from sin and made it possible for us to have eternal life through believing in Jesus (John 3:16). 

We must call upon the Holy Spirit to fill us daily, put on the mind of Christ and beseech our Heavenly Father. Our God can reveal the cause of our spiritual sickness ans wither it is self inflicted (sin), Eternally inflicted (devil, demons, and denizens of other religions) or if it is part of a process that requires us to carry our own cross and fulfill our own calling in this life.