Post on 06-Jul-2015
Clarifying
Spiritual
Needs
The nursing profession
has traditionally viewed
the person as holistic,
though the term itself
was only introduced
into the nursing
literature in the 1980s
by Rogers, Parse,
Newman and others.
Restoring wholeness
is a legitimate goal
of nursing, and so
the term
„HOLISTIC' from
the Greek 'Holos'
meaning whole or
complete
Holism has been defined
as "concerned with the
interrelationship of
body, mind and spirit in
an ever changing
environment".
The American Holistic
Nurses Association
define wellness (health)
as "that state of harmony
between body, mind and
spirit"
Clarifying Spiritual Needs in
Terms of:
Physical or Biological
Dimension
The PHYSICAL or
BIOLOGICAL
dimension relates to
the world around us
through our five
senses
Sense of Sight
“I saw the
Lord sitting on a
throne, high and
lofty….”
(Isaiah 6:1)
God gave the sense
of sight in order to find
and hunt food. Spiritually
speaking, replace food
with that which nourishes
the soul and we can begin
to understand the
scripture above requiring
a pure heart in order to
“SEE" God.
How often do we read from
the Word of God and say
"I've never seen that before!"
or as we are going through
trial how God is showing us
something new? We seek to
do God's will. So our
spiritual eyes are only
strengthened through
viewing of God's word,
revealing His will, directing
our eyes to the Son. "Fix
your eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfector of our
faith" (Hebrews 12:2).
Sense of Hearing
“Incline your ear, and
come to me; listen, so
that you may
live.”
(Isaiah 55:3)
Our ears augment our sight
to give us a full sense of our
surroundings. We can look around
and see images, but sound brings
them to life. Wind rustling through
the trees, Water bubbling down a
brook.
This is true when
considering spiritual sight as well.
Hearing the word brings to life
what we see. We cannot have faith
without hearing the Word.
(Romans 10:17)
But spiritual hearing is
more than just listening to the
Word. In the physical world, our
sense of hearing calls to attention
what we cannot always see. "Do
not merely listen to the word . . .
do what it says" (James 1:22).
If seeing leads us to the
will of God, then listening guides
us away from the dangers of sin.
The voice of the Shepherd leads
the sheep away from harm
towards safe pasture.
Sense of Taste
“O taste and see that the
LORD is good.”
(Psalm 34:8)
Jesus described himself as the bread
of life. (John 6:48). So, what does Jesus' life
taste like?
Jesus calls us to be salt to the world
that is worthless if we do not have flavor.
(Matthew 5:13) We are warned against
bitter roots growing in our hearts. (Hebrews
12:15) Wisdom is sweet to the soul.
(Proverbs 24:14. Also God's decrees and
God's words). So taste indicates to us the
nature of what we're ingesting. Does it
enhance flavor (salt), will it make you ill
(bitter), or is it pleasurable (sweet)? But taste
can also deceive; a poisonous berry may
taste sweet. So we cannot rely on taste alone.
"Woe to those who call evil good and good
evil, who put darkness for light and light for
darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet
for bitter" (Isaiah 5:20).
Sense of Smell
“…your anointing oils
are fragrant, your name
is perfume
poured out.”
(Song of Solomon 1:3)
In the spiritual sense it is
not what we consume where
smell is important, but our own
stench that can be perceived by
God. When Noah offered a burnt
offering after stepping foot on dry
land, God was pleased by the
smell. (Genesis 8:21) In place of
a sacrificial animal, we offer
ourselves as living sacrifices
(Romans 12:1) who may smell
like death, but are actually the
aroma of Christ (2 Corinthians
2:14-16).
In the New Testament,
the Church is described as
Christ's bride. Our sacrifice is a
fragrant offering attractive to
Jesus. Applying 2 Corinthians
above, our smell is not only
important to please our groom,
but also to attract unbelievers
into the Church.
Sense of Touch
“If I only touch his cloak, I will be made
well.” (Matthew
9:21)
Spiritually, this sense of pain is just as critical
to the health of our soul. The consequences of sin
hurt our hearts with regret and shame. Meanwhile the
gospel of Jesus cuts the heart (Acts 2:37). If we feel
pain because our hand is in the fire, we act and pull it
from the flame. The same should be true when we
feel spiritual pain. However just like the leper suffers
even more harm because of numbness, we risk
eternal suffering if our hearts are allowed to become
numb. "Having lost all sensitivity, [Gentiles] have
given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge
in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for
more" (Ephesians 4:19). Feel the pain, pull yourself
out of the fire before it is too late!
Your body without soul is your
physical dimension. Your soul
without your body is your spiritual
dimension. You are alive because
both dimensions are united. Our
five senses work if the two
dimensions meet. Your brain does
not work without spiritual
dimension. The spirit exists in all
parts of your body. If any of the
part of your body is not in good
condition, the harmony of the spirit
and your body is bothered. You
need to keep your health in order
that your spirit can stay steadily in
your body.
Thank you for listening