For a while now, I have been trying to develop healthy daily habits, like going to bed and getting up early, eating healthy, and exercising. As I was setting up a schedule to practice these habits daily, I realized that each of these habits was also symbolic of a healthy spiritual habit, that we need to not only take care of our bodies and minds, but also our souls.

For example, when we eat, we can remind ourselves of how God also feeds us with His Word, and thank Him for both. When we drink, we can remember that if we drink from God’s well, we shall never thirst. In this way especially, we can say:

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31).

When we exercise, we can strengthen ourselves not only physically, but spiritually through prayer, remembering that “tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

When we take medicine, we can thank God for it to heal us, and for Him to heal our souls, for God said, “I will restore your health; I will heal your injuries” (Jeremiah 30:17). And we can receive this healing especially through prayer and the Sacraments. As it is said in the book of James:

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.

James 5:13-15

And when we play music, we can remember God’s beauty, and find God’s healing and love through it:

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; / cry out to the rock of our salvation. / Let us come before him with a song of praise, / joyfully sing out our psalms.

Psalm 95:1-2

Finally, we can love others through our bodies in acts of kindness as well as through our souls in the words we speak and write. And we need to love God and others not only by acts, that is, as a duty or accomplishment, but with our souls, with sincerity of heart. All this is possible because God dwells within us, through the Eucharist and through His Holy Spirit.

Thus, in everything we do, we can be reminded of God, and God can work through us; and we can be “anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

God bless you and keep you!

~ Beloved Dreamer ~

Speaking of healthy habits, you might also be interested in reading about how to make prayer a daily habit.