Spiritual Health

SAT., MAY 20, 1989, 7:07 AM
FARM, STUDY

Health, as you see it (and of this I approve) is the quality of functioning and of adapting. Spiritual health thus is some assessment of how well your spirit is functioning and adapting. You know the various facets of spirit as it can be manifested in a person; spiritual health, then, is some combination of these, with consideration also of the intensity of each. Yes, even I have difficulty with the academic description of this aspect of health in which I am most interested. So I shall try some other “tacks”.

In My view, obviously a biased one, spiritual health is best “measured” by the quality of relationship with Me, the Holy Spirit. The more you are aware of My presence, My guidance, My desires for you, and of My everready help, the healthier you are. This is a dependence that I unabashedly call healthy. There is merit in independence in earth life, for a time, and I don’t deny this. What I recommend is a dependence on Me which increased our independence of (on) people and of (on) the marks of success for your culture. (You did mess this up. Listen more closely. Your attention is poor this morning, and this is an important lesson.) The more you depend on Me the less you have to depend on others and on your culture to feel healthfully successful.

Now this does not mean that you withdraw from relationships or from earth activities. It does mean that, with My help, you are freer to relate and to act effectively with other humans and through institutions. Relationships are better when you are not excessively attached. With your hand in Mine you walk more lightly on the earth, but with greater effects.

When you are doing My will you are less afraid to take a particular action and of the result. In the ideal relationship you leave the results up to Me. You are free to do and to be, and this means that more can be accomplished. Remember the story of the Indian holy man who accomplished much after he attained enlightenment because he no longer was concerned with consequences. The context was different, but it was, yes, I who was involved. There is only ONE God, and I am His functioning-in-the-earth Spirit.

Spiritual health also is shown in your appreciation of the spirit in places and things. Emphasize on Monday the spiritual nature of that walk around the Farm. Spirit inheres in places and as a result of actions in such places. All things that you can see and touch are manifestations of energy, which is just an earth interpretation of spirit. The more attuned you are to these “vibrations” the more spirit you will feel in your daily activities.

Another important discernment is that of similarity in spiritual paths in people you meet. Increasingly you should explore these perceived similarities. This doesn’t mean you should relate only to those deemed similar, for there is merit and growth in relationships with those on different paths… like Mabel… and your sons. Still, there is more joy and satisfaction in relating with kindred spirits. And I do recommend joy and satisfaction.

The stronger your spirit becomes the more it empowers you to be a fully functioning human person. A strong spirit can override certain conditions of the body that could bring ill-health to one less spiritual. Healing is faster and more complete. Emotions are more easily expressed and managed when spirit is strong. Learning is easier, and what is learned is retained and is more useful. You are a more effective teacher because of your spirit, which allows you to use your limited intellect in effective ways. And your relationships with people, of all sorts, are going to be of higher quality. Anger and frustration are more easily moderated or even eliminated.