Vital signs for a new year

A few years ago, my friend Bill had a heart attack. After a period of recovery, Bill had resigned himself to a shortened life filled with daily medication and the fear of dying. However, just last month, five full years after his heart attack, Bill ran in a local five-kilometer race. Here's what happened: Not long after the heart attack, Bill's wife changed their diet in accord with a nutritionist's instructions. The changes included no red meat, no fried foods, no sugary desserts, and plenty of vegetables and whole grains. Bill didn't like it very much, but he accepted it for the sake of his health.

Change didn't come easily, but in time, Bill began to see the fruit of his new way of life. After losing about fifty pounds, he received his doctor's permission to begin running. First he ran a block, then a half mile, then a mile. Now, he can run five kilometers in twenty-five minutes. Today, Bill is back in good health, and he looks younger than he did five years ago.

Measuring Your "Vital Signs." After Bill's heart attack, his doctor performed a series of tests on him. Among other things he checked Bill's blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart rate so that he could have an accurate read on Bill's condition. This evaluation of Bill's vital signs helped him and his wife chart a new course that would improve his health.

Just as a doctor uses vital signs to check our physical health, we can look at other vital signs to check our spiritual health. In the next two issues of The Word Among Us, we want to identify six of these "vital signs," which we can all learn to monitor.

As we get used to checking our spiritual vital signs, the Holy Spirit will begin showing us where we are healthy and where we are weak. He will also help us to determine the changes we need if we want to improve our spiritual health. Going back to the example of my friend, we might say that Bill represents you and me as we seek to change and grow closer to Jesus but find it very difficult. Bill's wife, then, might represent the Holy Spirit, who uses every possible means to help us change.

Sometimes the thought of changing our lives can overwhelm us and sap our energy. We may even be tempted to resign ourselves to a lower standard. But we don't have to! Bill was surprised when he saw the pounds fall off. He was pleased when his checkups showed positive signs of change. What's more, he found a renewed desire to live-to the point that he even dared to enter a five-kilometer race.

As you read about these vital signs, trust that the Holy Spirit is at work in your life. It may take five months or five years. It may even take longer. But when the final results are in, you will be amazed at the changes you have made, and you may even want to venture into new territory!

Practice these vital signs on a daily basis. Use them to gauge your spiritual health. Your willingness to open the door to the Spirit is the secret. As you do, you'll see him fill your efforts with his grace and lead you toward more intimacy with Jesus. You'll see yourself overcoming areas in your life that draw you away from Jesus. You'll see that he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). May God bless you every day of this new year.

Your brother in Christ,

Joe Difato

Publisher

(joe@wau.org)

Joe Difato

Publisher

(joe@wau.org)

Copyright Word Among Us Jan 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved