Wellness is not the absence of illness. The National Wellness Institute makes this statement: “a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential."
Jesus takes it to another level when He says “I have come that they may have life, and have it to full.” (John 10:10) A commentator states: “Jesus gives us life without the big “if” in the middle. With Jesus, life takes on meaning and has an eternal future. He gives life that delivers joy, rest, contentment and blossoms in glory.” I once heard a mental health care worker say: “no one can be really healthy if you aren’t a Christian.” The Wholeness Wheel below describes wellness/wholeness quite well.
The LCMS Ministerial Care Website makes this statement: “As sanctified children of God, we respond to what God, in Christ Jesus, has done for us through proper stewardship of all that we have been given. “We are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15) Until that time when we are with God face to face, we strive with His help and guidance to Be Well in all areas of the Wholeness Wheel so that we can best Serve Well those in our care.
There are three helpful websites: One is from graceplacewellness.org which has a strong emphasis on the preventive side of health issues. The second is www.lcms.or/wellness. It is about ministerial care by the Concordia Plan Services. The third is www.concordiaplans.org. While all of them are especially geared for church workers, they contain many good ideas on healthy living for all people.
Rev. Richard Koehneke served as a parish pastor in North Carolina, Maryland, and New Jersey from 1971-1993. From 1993 until retirement in 2009 as senior pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne.He serves part-time as ministerial health consultant for the Indiana District, coordinating the new “Caring for the Called” project. He is a member of the Indiana District Ministerial Health Commission and the LC-MS Ministerial Care Coalition.
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