My blog is about giving resources to my readers so that they can experience a “healthier” self. At the same time that is one of my least favorite tags that people use. In reality the world isn’t about us as individuals, but more about who we are as contributors to our communities. Did you ever see the Lion King? Timon and Pumbaa spent their days trying to make Simba a better lion. Why? If he became King, as his friends, their worries in life were over.
When I thought about this idea I thought about my tagline, “beyond faith to life transformed.” It says the same thing as those who claim to show people how to find healthier living. In fact, the church has called it discipleship for centuries. Without growth we are stagnate. We settle in and eventually weeds grow up around us. This happens regardless if you’re a follower of Jesus or not.
I’ve spent the last month talking about the topic of parental influence in our lives in my blog, podcasts, and videos. Each has presented a different focus. This is an important angle for us to start from when we talk about a healthier psychological and spiritual self. It also ultimately influences our physical self. Today, I want to conclude on this idea of communal health obtained through individual well-being. To do that, I’m going to jump around a bit and bring it from the foundations of Judaism and Christianity.
First, the idea of a healthy community comes out of the creation story in Genesis. The original intent for all life was to live in tandem. No one species was given reign to overuse or abuse. When we as humans live in this self-focused way, it runs counter to our natural design. This should leave you thinking in unselfish terms. A cycle of life in which all contribute to the health of others or the earth. Hear me clearly, I am not talking about a political perspective. I am talking about establishing in ourselves the desire to care about others, as well as all aspects of life, with the same level that we do for our personal selves.
A second thought stems from the development of tribes in Israel. These family groups were put in place to establish order and to build upon the community by teaching the younger generations how to live in a way that honored God. Again, there is no selfish living in this space. The pattern of boundaries is developed here. Not from one social group to another. All members of the greater whole lived together. The boundary was in understanding human limitations. When we grasp a healthy view of these limits, we learn to live within them without destruction to others.
Remember my comment about weeds growing around us? If, we live this way or do nothing towards changing unhealthy patterns that may have been rooted in us, we are not caring for others and we are not comfortable in boundaries. Parents plant seeds in us, but they are not always the ones to water the plant. We spend a very brief time with the serious influence of our parents. Certainly, this can last a lifetime, but a shift occurs in who impacts us the most. By the time we leave our parents home, the seed of who we are is planted. Its roots exist and it has begun to sprout. The true plant grows from this space.
The choices we make in life, the friendships we maintain, the romantic relationships we engage in determine who we become. These are all decided by our actions. Yes, they come from our interpretation of life as was begun by our parents, but we either allow or discard these beliefs. This is the becoming part. Here are some very easy ways to help us measure our choices.
- Do those we do life with contribute to their community?
- Do those we do life with have concern for all life?
- Do those we do life with seek ways to improve themselves in positive ways?
We can then turn those questions around and ask ourselves the same things. If we are continually moving towards understanding ourselves, seeking to improve unhealthy patterns of thought or behaviors, we are growing in such a way that society will benefit. If we are making these decisions so that God’s plan for all humans to be reconciled to him is central to our purpose, then the fertilizer for our souls is the best available. It is in this space that we will find transformation of our ugly places being orchestrated by him.
Keep growing my friends! Blessings for your journey.
Monica Swank 