WHOLENESS

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your WHOLE spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming or our Lord Jesus Christ – 1 Thessalonians 5:23

We began the meditations in this month of Blessings with Wellness; we’ll conclude with Wholeness! The word “whole” comes from the Greek words holo and holokleros, meaning: all, entire and complete; not divided, injured or impaired. Wholeness implies being complete and well in spirit, soul, and body – the three intricately interwoven dimensions of the human person (1The.5:23). You are a spirit; you have a soul; and live in a body. Verse 24 assures that: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” God is committed to having His children enjoy the Blessing of Wholeness. To be whole means that each aspect of your being is well. When any dimension of the human being is not well, the other dimensions are adversely affected. Wholeness embraces spiritual, mental, and physical health: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in ALL things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3Jh.2).

You are first and foremost a SPIRIT! Your spirit – your core, the Inner man, the real YOU – is saved and made alive by God’s indwelling Spirit. God’s breath into Adam made him a living being (Gen.2:7). Next, it’s important to care for your SOUL – to handle your emotions effectively, to nurture your intellect carefully, and equip your will to make healthy choices. Your soul-life is impacted by your spirit, through the ‘gateway’ of your mind. God demands that you be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom.12:2). Your mind-set and thinking patterns can be radically transformed to conform to God’s guidelines for living are as found in the Bible. Understanding and practising the principles in His Word are therefore the keys to being whole. Finally, you manifest life naturally and interact with the physical realm through the BODY’s five senses. Physical health and medical care ensure that your body functions and does the things God would want you to do, by being physically active, eating well, getting good sleep and being addiction free.

Wholeness is to have together all the parts which were intended to be there, and to have them functioning as they were intended to function. Specifically, it is the state of being perfectly well in spirit, soul (mind, will and emotions) and body. God’s Spirit and Word redeem your spirit, revive your soul, renew your mind, and restore your body. You cannot achieve real wholeness in your own strength. The transformation that produces wholeness can only be done by the Creator Himself. You must invite Him into the deepest part of who you are, so that from the inside out, you are transformed into the type of person He wants you to be. Only God can change you through and through. His original design for humanity is Perfect Wholeness. He created Adam and Eve in His image and likeness; without sin, blemish or shame. He specializes in complete, perfect, and total Restoration! In Christ, values and valuables you have lost are regained; ailing parts of your body are restored; and your drained strength is replenished. Your fading hope, flickering fire, dying grace, and withering gifts are revived by the Lord of Life. Praise God for the Grace of Wholeness!

The Lord will heal your Brokenness and fragmented existence and make you whole. He’ll take the broken pieces of your life and fashion out a beautiful and wholesome personality. He’ll move you from emptiness into fullness; from disintegration to Integrity. Integrity of heart is a virtue rooted in Wholeness. The Latin root – integritas – means “completeness,” “entireness,” “wholeness.” To integrate is to put pieces together in a unified whole. To have integrity is to be integrated, to have it all together or to be consistent. In encountering God’s Wholeness or Holiness, Isaiah discovered his own brokenness. He was “undone” – disintegrated and unravelled (Isa.6:1-7). He recognized his deep need for personal reconstruction! Life on earth gives us the opportunity to be more and more transformed into Christ’s image with ever-increasing glory (2Cor.3:18). In heaven, we shall attain Perfect Wholeness – in spirit, mind and body – and God will be magnificently glorified!