We give our thanks to God for we are always provided with what we need. There is food when we are hungry, rest when we are weary, and entertainments, enjoyable things and places for physical and spiritual refreshment and recharge. The problem is not a lack of things and opportunities to fill human basic needs and desires, but rather how to keep these in balance. With all these opportunities we often wonder why and how so many people seem to be suffering from emotional and mental problems, especially in the younger generations?
Although Jesus said, "One does not live by bread alone" (Matthew 4:4), people do have to eat daily. The problem is not whether we eat, but rather how much and what kind of food we eat. In another words, how to keep the balance between getting the calories and spending the energy through our daily activities that will keep our body in good condition. Thus everything that we eat, do and deal with in our daily lives affect that balance. In the things that we choose, too much or too little, too often or too seldom, or too quick or too slow may be no good for our health, mind and well being. No matte what it may be, food, stress, exercise, work, leisure and even knowledge, when they excess and cross over certain boundaries or do not even close to certain points are no longer good for us.
An article said that 75% of clergy people have thought about quitting their job due to too much stress and lack of confidence in their ministry. Among them, actually more than 10% are in a critical situation, coping with depression or chronic sickness such as headache, digestive and heart problem. A main cause of these tragedies is the failure to keep a balance between spiritual and physical care and needs. I believe that everyone has their own stresses and heavy burdens that come from daily life which need to be dealt with in a proper and right way to keep balance so that life can be enjoyed.
Human beings are created to be physical and spiritual beings at the same time and these two entities will never be separated from each other as long as we are living in this world. Many researches and surveys have shown that physical (body) and spiritual (mind and soul) matters are quite interrelated with each other, and they always go together side by side like the two wheels of a cart or the two sides of a coin. Failure to keep them balanced can lead to all kinds of physical, psychological, mental and spiritual problems. So it is quite right what Jesus said, "One does not live by the bread alone." We all need to have both physical and spiritual care as daily bread. How to keep balance? A simple answer is that as we live our lives, we need to think about the balance, how to keep the balance regularly? Then we each can have an idea of what we can do in our own way to keep balance for our whole being, body, mind and soul!
