How do you define good health? The World Health Organization says, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and just not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Good health is a state of being, and it’s how God intended for us to be.
Your health – mental, emotional, physical and spiritual – is important. In this two-part blog, we’ll explore the 10 intentionals for better health. These are ten basic things I hope will help you in whatever area of health may be concerned about.
1. Do a health audit.
We must know our vital signs. The Bible says we should know the state of our flock (Proverbs 27:23). While most of us don’t have flocks of sheep, we need to know the state of the things in our lives. Maybe your health audit means a visit to the doctor. With the pandemic, many of us have shied away from medical offices. But it’s important to know those vital signs like our pulse, blood pressure and blood report.
Perhaps you need to perform a financial health audit. When was the last time you looked at your finances to determine the state of your health financially? Or maybe with your kids; it’s necessary to sit down with your family and just talk about how you’re all doing. One of the questions to help you get started is, “Am I happy where I am right now when it comes to my health in the different areas of my life?”
2. Take the information from your health audit and compare where you are today with where you were a year ago, and five years ago.
Look at trends. Are things growing stronger or becoming weaker? Things don’t tend to stay the same. As you get older, you typically don’t grow stronger physically. But in other areas of your life – your mind, thinking, relationships, emotions, career, finances and the other areas of your life should continue to strengthen. And there are things you can do to strengthen your body, if you pay attention to the trends going on in your life.
3. Learn from what healthy people do.
What do people do who are financially healthy? It doesn’t just come naturally, and most of us are not taught how to do it. If that’s not an area of expertise in your life, talk to people who are financially healthy. This is key for all areas of your life. If you’re having issues with your marriage, learn what those with healthy marriages do. What sets them apart?
4. Decide on one healthy goal for each of the essential areas of your life.
The five essential areas we focus on in Intentional Living are faith, relationships, finances, work and health. What is one important goal you have for your faith? What about your family relationships, your marriage and parenting? For your finance? For your work? And for your physical health?
5. Do one thing daily for better health.
We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day; we make long lists. But then we underestimate what we can accomplish over a year. So, if there’s an area of health in your life that needs to be dealt with, if you start today to take one step every day, by even the end of the first 24 hours, you’re going to be encouraged. By the end of a week, you’re going to feel stronger. At the end of a month, your life starts to change. And at the end of a year, you’ll be transformed.
Third John 1:2 says, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (NIV). We live in a fallen world and age has its way of working in our body.
Stay tuned to next week for part two.
