Divinely-Bestowed Well-Being

Divinely-Bestowed Well-Being

Blessed means “happy, fortunate, blissful.” In the Beatitudes, Jesus starts with, “Blessed are,” Jesus was describing the divinely bestowed well-being of the faithful. Well-being, as defined by Webster, means the state of being happy, healthy, or prosperous. A divinely bestowed well-being is antithetical to what we all believe is a state of “health.” Our divine well-being cannot be purchased; it is not available in a storefront, is never obsolete, will never rust and decay, and will never be displayed in our possessions and wealth.

I consider “Blessed” to mean contentment, as Paul said to the Philippians—

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”—Philippians 4:11-13

Paul was describing a divinely bestowed state of well-being—Paul could have said, “I am blessed.”

My grandparents, Otto and Caroline from my father and Stephan and Edna from my mom had few possessions, but they had divine well-being. They were content and hard-working. People often think of contentment as a character flaw instead of a virtue because the world is blind to God and knows nothing about God’s character.

I have spent the last years and months searching for divine well-being—spirit, Mind, and Body, the whole package. Divine well-being is built on a spiritual foundation, and our journey to wellness begins on a solid foundation of faith.

Spirit, our souls:—We can do all things through Christ, though God, our foundation.—But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.—Matthew 6:33

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”—Matthew 7:24-27

Mind, God’s Wisdom:—God also has told us if we seek him, we seek wisdom, which makes a healthy mind. The last decade I have spent searching God’s wisdom in prayer and His Word, the scriptures. God has restored me and is maturing me and my understanding of His Glory. The Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, reminding us that reverence for God is the cornerstone of all wisdom. It teaches us to seek this crucial understanding as we navigate life’s challenges. By starting our journey with reverent awe toward God, we can discern His will and gain insights that lift us and guide our choices. When we acknowledge God’s greatness, we are better positioned to absorb His wisdom and apply it practically in our lives.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” – James 1:5

Body—So God created humankind in his own image; in the image of God, he created them; male and female, he created them. —Genesis 1:27

We are God’s temple. He created man to live forever with Him in the Garden, but sin corrupted our eternal bodies, and death came to us. We are God’s temple, His church, and God expects us to honor our bodies and keep His temple clean and healthy.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?—1 Corinthians 3:16

I have spent ten years seeking God and His Wisdom as a foundation. The foundation will always be under construction until God calls me “Fully Mature”—“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:4

I have spent ten months restoring my physical health from a state of sickness and decay, and I was dying physically. Last summer, God told me that if I was to be mature and shine my little light as one of His faithful, I needed to clean my body and His Temple and make it healthy again—spirit, mind, and body. My pursuit of Divine Wellness is a decade old, and I have barely scratched the surface of the task. Most importantly, I know I am on the right path built upon the rock. My journey to a state of “Divine Wellness” will be my testimony in the essays, photography, and videos I intend to share in the years I remain on this earth.

More to come…