If you’re concerned about living a healthy lifestyle, you might want to make the pursuit of spiritual mindedness a top priority.
Health is spiritual, a state of divine Mind reflected by man, the offspring of God.
Eating the right foods and exercising daily is not enough to keep one healthy. It’s spiritual mindedness that keeps one healthy.
Jesus Christ was clear on this point.
He taught, “First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too”
Matthew 23:26, NLT. He was referring to the state of a person’s thinking. It was not enough to cleanse the outside of the body to stay healthy, he knew. One needed to have clean thoughts to keep the body truly clean and free of dis-eased conditions.
To stay healthy, keep your thinking healthy.
Healthy thinking is spiritual thinking.
Spiritual thinking is knowing the presence and power of God. It’s being aware of one’s spiritual individuality made in the likeness of God. It’s living true to one’s individuality as a reflection of divine Love.
It’s healthy to love. It’s unhealthy to hate. It’s healthy to be generous, kind, and thoughtful toward others. It’s unhealthy to be stingy, selfish, and callous toward one’s neighbor.
Mind governs the body. When one’s thinking reflects God’s way of thinking, the effect is very good, first on one’s thought, then on the body that is governed by that thought.
Under the influence of the divine Mind, a person will automatically engage with healthy patterns of living that manifest in a good effect.
Through the pursuit of spiritual mindedness, let divine Mind “style” your habits and patterns of living. The effect will be far better than anything you could plan out on your own through the limited knowledge of the human mind.
A healthy lifestyle, is a spiritually inspired lifestyle. Seek out how to live with God first. What to eat and what to do will follow in the perfect way for you.
Thanks Evan! You are “spot on” with your inspiring words, as always! I am reviewing my gym membership as I feel it has become a habit which I no longer enjoy. I think I would do better using the time in spiritual study, in fact I am sure I would!
This is a very important post, Evan. To be free from error, we must remove it from our thoughts as well as our actions.
Yes, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Again, back to the first commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me…”. The best advice anywhere! Thank you for your post.
“Watching” our thinking on this subject is crucial. All forms of media (TV, social, etc.) constantly bombard us with a picture of inadequacy, incompleteness, weakness — especially when it comes to health, beauty and longevity. It’s subtle and pervasive, but we must “stand porter at the door of thought” and reverse these claims. It isn’t always easy but must be done, as Mrs. Eddy tells us in no uncertain terms: “It is a warfare with the flesh, in which we must conquer sin, sickness, and death, either here or hereafter, — certainly before we can reach the goal of Spirit, or life in God” SH 324:15-18.
There’s nothing wrong with exercise! Jesus walked miles every day! . I love to think about the Godlike qualities being expressed when I run,hike, go to fun exercise classes:vitality , balance, stamina, strength, joy! We exercise because we ARE fit, not to GET fit!
We get sidetracked if we make exercise a god. Love this blog, Evan. Practical as always!
Dear Evan and Group. I love today’s topic. Thank you, it is a very constructive and uplifting article. All the comments are beautiful. But I want to highlight Grace’s because I agree fully. What is wrong or wrong in doing physical activity? The answer is nothing. For one also demonstrates balance, resistance, harmony, grace, security, joy, temperance, patience, companionship, love, etc. by doing physical activity. Why? because they are qualities that reflect God. What is wrong, I believe, is to do a cult of the body or to believe that the exercise is a God. But I know Christian Science practitioners, who do sports, even Evan who is a great amateur tennis player, he himself told how he beat that barrier that was not good for the sport. And how he refuted what was said by a coach who told him that he had reached his peak, but as a reflection of God he knew he could do more, he changed coach and today he is a good tennis player. Express God for whom there are no limits. I am a diver and I also like to climb (I will cross the Andes next year), tennis, hiking, kayaking. Always seeing me as a reflection of the Father. Excelent day for everyone.
There is nothing wrong with engaging in physical exercise (yes, even Yoga!) and eating healthy food (yes, even Health Food!) Unless we have completely demonstrated over our physical bodies, (like the Ascended Masters!) we are still here, living with our bodies and we need to be wise about giving them the proper care. I have seen too many “over the top enthusiasts” try to give up exercise and diet and just stay home and Study C.S. and not get the results they wanted. We have to “Know what we Know”…..Know what we can really demonstrate and be wise. “Emerge Gently”!
Wow, interesting viewpoint. I myself have seen so many people (CS’s included) being “fearful” of their bodies and using what they call “wisdom” to exercise and eat “healthy” foods only later to learn “it isn’t what goes into the mouth that defileth a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” Nothing wrong with ENJOYING activity just for the sheer joy of LIVING … but to do it out of fear or caution is something that eventually has to be faced down. As a CSP said to me many years ago, “if you’re not spiritual NOW, you never will be.” He was a slender man with no sign of aging and yet he was probably in his 80’s at that time. II Tim 4:8 has the recipe … along with John 7:24: Judge NOT according to the appearance. And Mrs. Eddy herself said: “Departing from Christian Science, some learners commend diet and hygiene.” (S&H 457: 24-25) If we’re going to use “quotes” to justify a position, the only fair way to do it is to balance it out with statements IN their intended CONTEXT. I am a petite person and the only CS in my family. My stature is NOT because of diet or exercise; but it is a result of LIVING and APPLYING through consistent practice what I understand to be spiritual laws of health. We cannot serve two masters. I love Christian Science!
Thank you Evan. I particularly liked the following lines:
Seek out how to live with God first. What to eat and what to do will follow in the perfect way for you.
The simplicity of the Christ-mindedness! Thank you so much for sharing this today!
I was just going to say what Brian said! Love your whole post today… and those lines seem to say it all! Thank you so much!
The winds of change
come from a direction
I can name….
Some call the wind
Mariah …
But this wind
has no name…
Unless you are of
the few…
who see Spirit
in all things….
The few who
can call the wind..
Even though the
wind has no name….
Hi Max. Beautiful poem. So inspired …
… those few knew
from Whom the wind came. ..
Hi Maximo, I hope you like tbis added ending to your very inspiring poem.
Am very thankfull for Evan’s so clear metaphysics of today’s healing and blessing SpiritView and for all the interesting comment!
Love the comments today, especially Bevi “Emerge gently.” I spend a lot of time, especially starting each day, praying and studying the Bible lesson. But I haven’t been getting much exercise. Sunday I adopted a little rescue dog, and now after my morning with God, I am walking my dog and getting some much needed exercise. Also, walking before retiring for the night. I also now have a loving companion to share my home with, as I have been living alone with just God. I am so deeply grateful for all of God’s blessings and guidance, as I feel this idea came directly to me from God.
Great blog; wonderful comments. Thank you all.
Thank you for bring up this important topic! My C.S. teacher was constantly saying, “Your thinking determines your experience,” and how true that is! I appreciate the teaching I received so very much, and I certainly love your posts, Evan. Thank you all!
I don’t think living C.S. is sitting in a chair and studying all day. Life, Truth , and Love is to be expressed in fruitful and right activity! There are infinite ways to express Mind, Soul- whether it’s running a marathon, painting a picture, helping a neighbor, or teaching a class. Also, eating a normal and balanced diet for a human is intelligent. Not over- indulging which would be making a god out of food. Exercise can be seen as expressing freedom, flexibility, strength. We are glorifying God not the body. I love watching children. They don’t consciously try to exercise – they just express boundless energy. They naturally run, skip , chase, and play. Activity is natural for all of us.
Much gratitude to all. Loved the poem too with the added line. My teacher had a famous line, “You is your think”