How is your health and DWELLness?
You read that right. While wellness is defined as: The condition of good physical and mental health, especially when actively maintained by proper diet, exercise, and avoidance of risky behavior. Your DWELLness is your capacity to seek and connect with God, meditate on biblical instruction and encouragement and be content in being there. Yep, like the satisfying experience of just laying back in the leaves and listening to God.
Many times the noise of life distracts us from seeking God’s Spirit. When we do get a clear connection with God we’re often pleased we have that “5G high-res” clarity even if it seems it’s only for a short while. Real DWELLness is when it lasts, lingers deeply and transforms us. It’s the, “Mmm, that’s really good.” It comes from desiring God and committing your ways to a deeper purpose. Dwelling in Christ requires you to truly be content in being where God wants you – even when that is challenging, scary, quiet, different, too good to be true, evolving or wherever God has you right now.
Our physical fitness can often be a real-world parallel to where we are and how we’re living spiritually. The “gym rat” (a person who spends and unusually large amount of time at a gym) or a competitive athlete may be the type of person who comes to mind when you think of someone who dwells on physical fitness. However the person who knows they are overweight or “out of shape” even ill likely dwells on physical fitness or their lack of it just as much – even more perhaps. All of us, in one way or another, to some extent dwell on our physical body: how we look, feel, move, function… live.
Here’s a perspective to consider: Our human nature to ‘dwell’ is engineered by God. Some of us do a pretty good job at it and others – not so good. I suggest to you though that if you’ll give your capacity to dwell TO God, then God will empower, equip, inspire and transform you to dwell WELL.
Your mind will more fully be on God’s words – you’ll be more inspired, better led and generously equipped. You’ll experience and understand how righteousness, humility, grace and faith are obsessions that are beautiful and fit beautifully on you. Spiritual fitness may feel like an endorphin high, but way beyond the temporary satisfaction of physical accomplishment and awards, bests and benefits, improvements and outcomes, dwelling with God is even, comforting and consistent. DWELLness is achieved through knowing God and knowing how to be at peace in Christ.
early – spin – deep
Grow in spiritual health and DWELLness when you seek God early. It can be your spin on what others call ‘me time’. It’s being fully immersed – deep in God’s Spirit.
start early – it’s how to dwell well
It’s that time of year. Mornings just seem earlier as the earth gradually tilts toward autumn. You want to get up and get going – you need to, buuuut maybe just a few more minutes of sleep.
That darkness is a gift. That’s right, God’s invitation AND reward!
Want to really discover what it can mean to dwell in God’s presence? Don’t just ‘get up’ get into using the darkness as a tool to narrow your focus on God.
Sure, get dressed, get your gym bag and your keys and get going to that morning workout before work. But instead of listening to the radio, checking texts or emails, or any of the other multitasking you do – – – just say good morning to God THEN listen.
When the Bible talks about seeking God early the author wasn’t suggesting that you unload your list of problems like emptying out your gym bag and then immediately switching gears to ‘time to get busy’.
Early can become prime time – your opportunity to be in the presence of God. That’s a place where fear, anger, confusion, frustration, sadness, failure, impatience… all the stuff the world and the enemy throws at you has no power – no chance to hold you down.
‘Early’ may not be the easy place, the convenient place or the place where anyone says you should be but as you decide to dwell in God you’ll get an appetite for it – an eager and desperate longing for it.
spin intensely – it’s how to dwell well
It’s late morning going into early afternoon on a beautiful autumn day in the not to distant future. You planned for it – marked hours out on your calendar. Gear ready – route planned.
Now it’s just you and the road and … God.
Hear the breeze, your breathing and God.
Feel the drive, your heart pound and God.
No distractions, no real agenda, you’re just here to DWELL in the presence of God.
It’s your spin on what others call ‘me time’.
go deep – it’s how to dwell well
Jesus told Luke and fellow fisherman to go deeper. When they listened and followed Christ’s instruction the results not only exceeded their expectations – they were nothing short of miraculous.
God wants the same for you. God wants you to have better health and deeper faith.
Beyond desiring to do God’s will, and making a commitment to live as Christ commands, we can accept His invitation to follow Him.
But to be clear ‘follow’ is much more than “come here and check it out” or “try it for a while, make a big splash and have some fun”. To DWELL in the Spirit goes a lot deeper. Persistence that goes beyond counting laps is just one way to measure the mindset – the spiritual conditioning.
Christ knows that it’s not how far we go or how strong we become that defines who we are. It is simply staying fully immersed in Him, moment by moment that lets us move and be in our true element.
let the word of Christ richly dwell in you
Where will you dwell? Choose to dwell in His house, in His presence. This is the season – your season! Get serious about living like Christ. Your new life in Christ is your real life. Don’t let things and feelings shape your life. Your new way of life is custom-created by God.
As the words of the Bible and the Spirit of God dwell in you, you’ll see that God has incredible qualities for you to put on and wear full time. When Christ richly dwells in you He has the run of the house. Know Him fully in every detail.
Then – welcome others, “This is my house. It is #myfamiliarplace.”
Train strong in Christ,
Brad Bloom, Publisher
