“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24  NIV

What does it mean to be whole?

The Bible often speaks of being healed in terms of being made whole. In fact, seven times in the Gospels Jesus says, “Your faith has made you whole.”  That is a good way of thinking of it. To be a whole person is to be able to live life fully and happily and productively like a person should be able to live. That is really what we want for ourselves, isn't it?

That involves every aspect of our being. The Bible talks about wholeness as something that starts in the center of our being and organizes our lives rightly from the inside out. It works through our basic relatedness to self, to life, to others, and to God. In fact, it begins with coming into a right relationship with God. (Can you see how this has to do with the good news about the Jesus coming again in great glory?).

Wholeness in the center of our being can have a lot to do with physical health, to be sure. Bernie Siegel, a surgeon who treated many cancer patients in his years of practice, has written several books sharing the belief that it is often something wrong in our way of relating to ourselves and to life that causes physical illnesses like cancer and that emotional health can contribute to physical healing (See his best-seller, Love. Medicine, and Miracles, Harper and Rowe, 1986).

Sometimes a person may be a whole person even though there is a physical illness or disability. A woman with crippling Rheumatoid Arthritis came to her pastor very disturbed. She had met a person who, with the best of intentions, had told her that if she just had faith, God would heal her physical condition. The pastor responded that he knew that she did have faith, lots of it. And as a result of her faith she had been able to rise above her physical condition and live a full and productive life in spite of it. She was an outstanding wife and parent and teacher and citizen and person. Even though the arthritis was still there, her faith had made her whole.

Sometimes the thing that needs to be healed is not a physical condition but a relationship. That kind of healing can sometimes save a person's selfhood and sometimes, even a whole family.

The field of holistic medicine is exploring the dynamics of wholeness.  Most medical professionals today understand that proper medical care focuses on finding the root cause of illness and involves treating the whole person—mind, body and spirit—not just physical symptoms.  That is one reason most hospitals have chaplains on staff. In my fifteen years of hospital ministry, I functioned as part of an inter-disciplinary team.

This is really close to the essence of the Christian faith. We know that the Christian Faith has a lot to do with being saved. But being saved is not just something that has to do with the hereafter. The Greek word sozein which is often translated "to be saved" can also mean to be healed or to be made whole. To be saved is to be made a whole person.

So, you might be asking yourself, “What does that mean for me?”  The answer to that question begins with our asking, "In what ways may I need to be healed?" Don't focus just on physical illnesses.  Search deeply for any un-wholeness there may be in your life. Know that God wants you to be a whole person. If you can get physical health, by all means, do it. But if physical health is not possible, remember that God can make you a whole person in spite of a physical illness. An amputee has to discover that he or she can be a whole person without the limb that has been lost. A divorcee must discover that he or she can be a whole person without the former partner. An unemployed person must discover that he or she can be a whole person even though unemployed. God wants you to be a whole person, and God is working to help you become one.

Look around to see what things God is doing in your life that can contribute to your healing. Are there friendships and loving relationships through which God can work to heal your hurts? Is there beauty or goodness around you that can restore your hope? Are there support groups or church groups that can help you cope with your unique problems? Are there harsh experiences that God may be trying to use to wake you up to the need for change? Are there challenges through which God may be calling you to venture out? Learn to recognize what God is doing in your life to make you whole and work with God. Reach for wholeness. God wants you to be a whole person.

Prayer:  Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10 NKJV)

Blessings,

Steve+

p.s. – Our tour company has graciously granted us an extension of the deadline for folks to join our pilgrimage to the Holy Land next March 18-30, 2026.  If you have always wanted to visit the land of the Bible and would like to be a part of our group, contact me, and I will get the information to you. Next year in Jerusalem!