Our well-being

'Well-being' can be described as:

The state of being comfortable with yourself, and feeling happy or content.

Well-being is something which many, many people search for in our modern world, but it can be surprisingly hard to find.

Here's two reasons why we may be feeling not at peace with ourselves:

[1] One reason is that the bad things we do, make us feel uncomfortable about ourselves.

When we tell lies, or steal something, or are jealous, greedy, or spiteful, etc, then that affects the way we feel.

Helpful words of wisdom:

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"There is no peace for the guilty." [1]

Our conscience tells us that we are wrong.

As we get older we often suppress our conscience and so reduce it's influence - but it will always give us a feeling of no peace when we do wrong things.

[2] At other times, our conscience is quiet and we've got a lot of possessions, family and friends and everything is looking good from the outside, but there can still be a lack of happiness - a lack of contentment.

The answer lies in the spiritual area of our lives.

We were designed to be spiritual beings. That means that we were designed to be in relationship with God.

But in Europe it is not the done thing to discuss such things.

Throughout the world people have a desire to worship some form of Deity, even if they are not sure who or what this Being is like!

The beginning of a 1st century sermon:

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"Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.

For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.

Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth

and does not live in temples built by hands.

And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything,

because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth;

and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him,

though he is not far from each one of us.

'For in him we live and move and have our being.'

As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold

or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill..... [2]

It is interesting to see from the 1st century sermon above, that God put us upon the Earth "so that men (ie mankind - that includes the ladies!) would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."

We will never feel good about ourselves in a spiritual way, unless we 'find God'.

My own personnal search for well-being:

I had a huge feeling of emptiness when I was 17 years old. Nothing could shift it.

I had a good family, friends and a job with prospects working as a trainee manager at a Builders Merchant.

Then I started to think: 'What is this life all about?'

My answer to the question was:

'Because God made the world, then he ought to know what this life is all about!'

Helpful words of wisdom:

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"A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?" [3]

But there was a problem, how could I get in touch with God?

God didn't seem to be in the hustle and bustle of my human life.

But when I looked at the natural world around me God seemed to be closer there.

Helpful words of wisdom:

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"The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands." [4]

So what did I do?

I packed in my job and worked in horticulture! Then, I thought, I was guaranteed to be near nature and to God!

But things didn't work out as I planned.

I couldn't find God and promptly forgot about it.

But the amazing thing was, that God came looking for me!

I believe that God sent a Christian student across my path. He was sincere and genuine. He really believed and it was a way of life for him. His faith in Jesus Christ influenced his whole life.

I came to believe that Jesus Christ was able to turn my life around and he gave me real contentment from that point on.

We will never feel good about ourselves in a spiritual way, unless we 'find God'.

Helpful words of wisdom:

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"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

[5] Jesus Christ said these words.

Go to the 'Spirituality' menu.

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Comment or get in touch

[1] Isaiah 48:22

[2] Acts 17:22-31 (NIV)

[3] Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 (NIV)

[4] Psalms 19:1 (NIV)

[5] Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)