A Practical Guide for Transformative Growth Part 3Sample

Wholeness

We are all broken people in some form or fashion. But our brokenness is not a problem for Jesus. Christ came precisely to address our brokenness. Isaiah 61 foretold of Jesus’ radical mission to make us whole in every way!

So, how do we pursue this wholeness? First, we need to understand ourselves. We are spirit, soul, and body, and Jesus wants to make us healthy and whole in each of these aspects of our humanity. Each of these facets of our existence has needs that must be met in order to thrive.

Our spirits are made new when we accept Jesus into our hearts, and our bodies will be renewed when He comes again. But in this life, God is sanctifying our souls:

• Head
  • Thoughts
  • Beliefs
• Heart
  • Emotions
  • Values
  • Desires

When we are healthy, we then have the ability to build healthy relationships. You cannot love others unless you have learned to love yourself, because broken people do not have the capacity for unconditional love.

Loving others well is about building healthy, genuine, and enduring relationships with others. In the kingdom, love is not a one-off, transient, or flaky kind of love but a covenantal love where we are deeply committed to the wellbeing of the other person. That’s the only kind of love God knows. To build this kind of relationship with others requires 2 things:

• Increasing levels of vulnerable self-disclosure that is met with acceptance by both parties
• Consistent faithfulness through life's challenges by both parties