What About Mental Health?

Is mental discipline part of spiritual growth? Mental Discipline is necessary for growth. Have you noticed how easy it is for our minds to butterfly-like flit from one thought to another while we are listening to one of our children, attending church, reading the Bible or are being instructed by a boss? Paying attention, having the ability to focus laser-like on the subject, task or person before us is necessary, not only to our spiritual development, but also to our ability to serve effectively.

One of the first lessons we must learn here is to set aside time every day for exercising our brains. Even if its just 15 minutes each day spend it reading, or memorizing a few Ground Rules. Take time out at least once a week to read material that challenges you spiritually, equips you theologically or stimulates you intellectually. Read good books. Read the classics. You don't have to read a book a week or even one a month. If you are not a voracious reader set an attainable goal of reading just 2 books this year. For example, read JI Packer's, Knowing God, and CS Lewis', Mere Christianity.

Pay attention to the world around you. Focus your mind. When someone is speaking to you, pay attention to their words, their demeanor, their eyes, and the spirit in which they are speaking. So often we fail to hear someone accurately because we did not pay attention. Their words were saying "peace" while their clinched jaw and fists were saying "anger." It takes commitment, love and mental discipline to really pay attention to people and events around us but the cost of failure here is quite high.

Of course, mental discipline also involves teaching one's self when to turn down the intellect and emphasize the other senses. Many people have intellects that are so overly stimulated that they are not developing as a whole person. If their bodies were constructed to mirror their personal growth they would have a head the size of a ten-gallon bucket but no eyes or ears and a heart the size of a thimble.

All of the disciplines stand or fall together. Do not think you can have sloppy eating habits and it won't have an adverse affect upon you emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. If you refuse to take charge of your emotional life it can have a negative impact on your health, as well as your ability to think clearly. Failure to maintain at least a minimal degree of physical fitness will leave you with little energy to think and act efficaciously.

Never treat your gifts with disdain; never devalue them through neglect or abuse. To do so is to dishonor the Giver of all good things. You have been given incredible presents from God. These presents-these gifts-are to be continuously cultivated for giving praise to your creator, as well as for increasing your capacity for enjoying His gift of life.