My doctor and I are friends. That should say something about how much time we’ve spent together. How many appointments and how many hours in waiting rooms and how much rescheduling has happened.
When we’re chronically ill, we pour most of our time, energy, and finances into caring for our physical health. But dear warrior, your body is not the only part of you that needs care. You, as a whole person, are worthy of not only physical care, but mental, emotional, and spiritual care too.
Today, I want to share three ways you can start caring for your spiritual health.
1) Find a spiritual mentor.
For our physical health, we seek out many doctors and specialists. But when it comes to our spiritual health, we tend to think that we’re fine on our own. However, going it alone is not the way God created things to be!
God calls believers the “body of Christ” and says that though there are many parts, we are one. (See 1 Corinthians 12:12-13.) Over and over again, the Bible speaks of caring for each other in myriad ways. So instead of going it alone, seek out a spiritual mentor. Just like you’d seek out someone with your diagnosis or a specialized doctor for advice, we also need the support of others to care for our spiritual health.
2) Check on your spiritual nutrition.
How many medications and supplements do you take every day? What are your dietary restrictions? Chances are, if you have a chronic illness, you’ve changed or considered changing your nutrition intake.
For my specific chronic illnesses, nutrition is a linchpin. I was dying, literally given a month to live without it. And now I’m functioning almost normally with it.
Our spiritual health also needs nutrition. We need to be consuming the right content, and avoiding content that compromises our health. Spiritual nutrition means the difference between spiritual life and death. Scriptural hope and godly encouragement can keep us going through even death. Lies and fears and even just shallow platitudes will leave us lonely and defeated.
What does your spiritual supplement sheet look like right now? What do you want it to look like?
3) Check out the Diamonds conference.
One source of nutritional content for spiritual health is the Diamonds Conference. Biblically-based encouragement and advice from Christians who are battling in the trenches of chronic illness with you will feed your soul. (It does mine!)
The Diamonds conference seeks to face the realities of chronic illness with hope. We want to come alongside chronic illness warriors and let them know they aren’t alone. And our next event, where I am excited to join Katerina who is speaking about Facing Roadblocks on Your Chronic Illness Journey on March 17th!
S. G. Willoughby is the author of He’s Making Diamonds: A Teen’s Thoughts on Faith Through Chronic Illness and the host of the Diamonds conference. She loves to write and have adventures. You can find her at sgwilloughby.com.