During this “Reflections” event at Hodel’s, Craig Francis Harrison discusses ways to achieve wholeness and balance in your life.
Video by Bob West Video.
Craig’s Presenter Notes
Wholeness and Holiness are two things we need and they go together.
Logic:
The goal is to be made whole –
Wholeness & Balance in our life
Removes stress & anxiety
But removing stress is not the answer
I read in one of Melody Beaty’s Books….
Balance
Seek Balance.
Balance emotions with reason.
Combine detachment with doing our part.
Balance giving with receiving.
Alternate work with play, business with personal activities.
Balance tending to our spiritual needs with tending to our other needs.
Juggle responsibilities to others with responsibilities to ourselves.
Balance caring about others with caring about ourselves.
Whenever possible, let’s be good to others, but be good to ourselves too.
Some of us have to make up for lost time.
There are many ways to eliminate stress & anxiety:
- Positive people
- Meditation
- Prayer
- Church
- Exercise
- Reach out activities
- Breathing
- Ridding self of negative thinking
- Spending time in nature
- Sleeping
- Smiling
Others – drink, depression, take meds, or act out
But there is more…
These are temporary – they work, help me
But wholeness is deeper!
We were created to be expressions of the goodness and wholeness of God.
Erwin McManus
I will put my spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your land.
Ezekiel 37:14
When we are balanced – whole:
- Happy
- Present in the moment
- Connected
- With purpose
- Awakened
- Content
- Grounded
- Peace
- Commitments
- Responsible
- *even amidst work/kids/spouses/parents/exercise
You don’t need another person, place or thing to make you whole. God already did that, your job is to know it.
Maya Angelou
For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds, declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 30:17
No personal worth can create wholeness, only surrendering our lives to Christ.
Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth.
Jeremiah 33:6
So….because of sin, lack of trust in God, we become fragmented (stained glass).
GOOD NEWS
We can become whole and that is the first step to holiness.
When I look out, I see some fragmented people – that is OK.
But I also see exhausted people caught in a world of routine,
Overcommitted
Overwhelmed
Tired
That is not ok.
He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.
2 Timothy 1:9
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24
We transition from accepting our brokenness, which God will use to bring out holiness.
Embracing our brokenness makes us whole and then in Christ, we become Holy.
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.
1 Cor 1:30
So, with holiness comes joy. Joy is the return to connection. To connect our body, mind, soul, and our being, to Christ.
When we seek connectedness – we are restored.
We begin to see purpose in our brokenness and how the pieces fit together.
No Coincidences
Our fragmented life becomes a masterful stained-glass window –
Wholeness does not earn perfection: it means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life.
Parker Palmer
Hebrew meaning of HOLY (Kodesh) Quonish
“to be set apart for a specific purpose.”
So this is the real secret of life –
Practice relaxing techniques
But the key to wholeness and Holiness is to ask the bigger questions.
Is there a God?
If so what do I believe about the creator?
Do I believe in Jesus?
Do I believe my life has purpose?
Do I believe I will suffer?
Do I believe everything in my life is a coincidence?
Do I trust God in every area of my life?
When we ask the real questions we are set free of worry and stress.
We know God is using all of our joys, suffering, and pain to build his kingdom.
When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.
Corrie ten Boom
We may not understand, but when we look back he fulfills all his promises.
God uses us and restores us.
He loves to restore things, to make them better.
His plan is perfect.
It is to unite all things IN HIM.
There is no quick fix –
Just surrender
Right now, tonight.
Everything is in His hand
He is in control
Even when we don’t understand
His perfect plan is unfolding.
Relax, take a deep breath –
There is nothing to worry about – It’s all part of the plan.
It’s exciting to know.
We don’t have to be afraid
We don’t have to worry or be filled with anxiety –
It is what it is…there is more to come
Dan Hayism
Jesus is our Savior –
This is what Easter is all about.
So put away the meds – the bottle (not glass) of wine
Put away the complaining,
Pick up your Bible and
Listen to the Good News!
It is all part of the plan
We are a part of the greater plan – the good and the bad
We are WHOLE and we are HOLY
Claim it and live it!