a drop of water

I was reading Chapter 2 of Dallas Willard’s, Renovation of the Heart, and came across this break down of the human life on page 30.

1. Thought (images, concepts, judgments, inferences)
2. Feeling (sensation, emotion)
3. Choice (will, decision, character)
4. Body (action, interaction with the physical world)
5. Social context (personal and structural relations to others)
6. Soul (the factor that integrates all of the above to form one life)

I’m finding it helpful to evaluate my spiritual health in regards to each of these areas.  I’d like to make it a regular habit, because often life’s experiences magnify one area out of proportion.  It’s easy for us to dissociate one aspect of our lives in order to focus on just that.  Alone, each of these areas are thought to be manageable, but when considered together, the result is overwhelming.  But I believe that our spiritual health depends on the integration of all the parts.

They are all equally important and interdependent; some may be more important than others for a time, but their relation to each other has the potential to enhance and empower.  The true health of our soul in light of a redemptive plan, seems to depend on our lives integration of each complimenting God designed area.  Some brief questions that I’ve considered:

1. (Thought) – Where do my thoughts go in my free time?
2. (Feeling) – Where do I feel content in my life?
3. (Choice) – What choices in my life reflect my thoughts and feelings?
4. (Body) – Where am I being available with energy for people?
5. (Social Context) – Who am I lovingly investing in?
6. (Soul) – How compartmentalized is my life?