Display

Spiritual Wellness: It’s important to have a vision

  • Published
  • By Chaplain Candidate (2nd Lt.) Leslie Craymer
  • Tinker Chapel
Often, we find ourselves in the midst of spiritual "unwellness." Maybe it is because of a lack of challenge, maybe it's exhaustion or maybe it's helplessness.

Spiritual "unwellness" can be any situation that leaves us feeling like there is no escape from the present circumstances. The prophet Elijah had this experience after his "big moment," the moment where his God beat all other gods on the mountain when fire came down from heaven.

For Elijah, his big moment had come and stolen all the excitement and motivation out of the rest of his life. Now he found himself exhausted, too exhausted to even look for a vision. He asks to die and later responds to God, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant thrown down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left and they seek my life, to take it away."

When we feel all alone, exhausted, and perhaps that death would be sweeter than life, we need to be aware that these are warning signs of spiritual "unwellness." The Proverbs say, "Without a vision, the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18)

Vision is important; it keeps us going even when life is burdensome. When you lose your vision or set it beyond practicality, it is easy to view life as a pointless race car track where the only goal is to drive in circles until you run out of fuel. If you don't feel you have even a small vision for your life, it is important to sit down and come up with something, whether it's a physical goal, a moral goal or even an intellectual goal.

What is your vision? Is it something that will keep you spiritually well?