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By Rebecca Hastings

Is your soul healthy?

When I heard the word health, I immediately thought about the scale. The number was higher than I wanted and that was 20 pounds ago. I ate a leftover cinnamon roll for breakfast and I wasn’t sure if I ate more than one vegetable yesterday. Body health was an issue for me, one that stalked me daily.

But my body health is only part of the issue. While I want to be healthy in my body, it is even more important to be healthy in my soul. 

Yes, body health is important. We know the verse about our body being a temple, “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?” 1 Corinthians 6:19 (CSB) But what we often forget is that our soul is important too.

We need to take care of our souls to be able to fully take care of our bodies.

4 Secrets to Living a Healthy Life

Set Social Media Boundaries

I’m starting here because we all have feelings on the subject, and they’re complicated. Not all social media is bad. There is so much good on social media!

The problem is that I picked up my phone 100 times a day, ready to scroll. But I needed a break from the noise (both good and bad.) Putting social media icons in a folder labeled SOUL CARE helped keep me on track as I took breaks from social media.

Taking a break doesn’t always mean giving it up. It can look like saying no to social media after a certain time or taking weekends off. It can look like giving yourself specific times you allow social media and keeping it off the rest of the day. Think about how you can make your soul healthier by setting social media boundaries.

Be Quiet

I always love talking about things, even the hard things. But I have tried to be quieter. Why? 

There is a lot of noise in the world. The quiet allowed me to think and rest and see what happened even if I didn’t shout into the world. It helped me think about what God is doing in me and through me.

Whether it’s making time for things you love like books and movies or going for a car ride alone, there is something good for the soul about being quiet.

Be With Your People

With less distraction, we are more present. While some of it is hard, it’s also wonderful because it helps us be more intentional with the people we love. 

You don’t have to do anything earth-shatteringly exciting. But it’s good to watch movies and read books. To go for walks and to organize a closet. To play at the beach at sunset on a chilly day when everyone else has gone home. 

There is something life-giving about spending time with the people you love.

Be With God

This isn’t about setting a certain schedule. This is about being present with God. In the car. While you unload the dishwasher. When you head out for a date with your husband. 

Whatever you are doing, you can invite God into that place. And when you do, you will find something amazing. God meets you there.

Feeling God’s presence in the ordinary daily things you do is one of the best ways you can foster a healthier soul. 

As you think about how you want to be healthy, look first at your soul. When your soul feels healthy, you can build a healthy body, relationships, and life habits on a sturdy foundation.

Wife Step: Apply one of these steps this week and then reassess how healthy you feel.

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