Ministry

Ministry Message

The victory over our inner self is a daily struggle. Be strong and do not give up.  Lailah Akita

This term our College is committed to exploring the topic of well-being; not just as an abstract idea, but in a practical way. We have been investigating steps that we can take, in order to be well.

The best place to begin this journey, is the book of Proverbs. This book is part of the wisdom literature. It contains truths about life, human experience and God. The book of Proverbs distinguishes people into two categories. The wise- those who listen to the words written in this book; and the fools- those who ignore these words.

What is the first step then, to become wise in terms of our own well-being? We need to understand the priority of the inner life! Proverbs 18:14 says: A man’s spirit will endure sickness but a crushed spirit who can bear?

The word spirit in this verse is a word for wind, force, energy and passion, and it refers to our inner being. Our inner desire, energy and power to live life.

As the verse says,  a broken body can be sustained by a strong spirit, but a crushed spirit cannot be carried by the strongest body.  There is no substitute for a strong spirit!

Our world is obsessed by the idea that our happiness is determined by external circumstances, but the Bible says that happiness has nothing to do with external circumstances rather how you deal with your life circumstance from the inside. If your life is broken but your spirit is strong, you are moving out to the world in strength. If everything else in life is going fine but your spirit is crushed, you move into the world in weakness.

The wisdom of Proverbs tells us that if we want to be well, we need to be more concerned about making regular deposits of God’s grace into our spirit, than depositing money into our bank accounts or any other activity.

I hope we can all do that.

Charlie Tatera

College Chaplain