SUSTAIN ME

Good morning!

SUSTAIN ME is an acronym that a health warrior named Barbara O’Neill coined as a way to think about our health. I love the basics of this philosophy because in a world where everything is quick fix in nature and short-sighted, this is practical and wise.

Sunshine, Use of Water, Sleep, Trust in Divine Power, Abstaining, Inhale, Nutrition, Moderation, and Exercise are the categories that make up SUSTAIN ME.

I won’t get into the details but each category has some basic but profound impact on our overall health. I think as a society, in the medical field, in the diet arena and beyond, we look at symptoms and never get deeper into the root causes of things. 

If our health suffers, which of these things could we start to analyze and fix in order to start to heal? I notice, in particular, that my mental health suffers when I am not in moderation with my intake of social media and the news. It can quickly take over my psychological mind and cause a sense of hopelessness and grief. However, when I curtail the amount of time I spend there, bring myself back into Trusting in Divine Power, my sense of peace returns. 

Taking it a bit further, if society is suffering as we see so clearly, what is the root cause and how can we go about helping heal the world rather than just attacking the symptoms? I think a lot of Christians want to stand up for what they believe but sometimes we become part of the problem in our approach. Praying for Divine Wisdom and reminding ourselves that most of what we see is a symptom, we can start to see things through God’s eyes of love. 

Which of the categories stood out to you? Where could you take steps towards improving your health?

A merry heart does good, like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. Proverbs 17:22