Wellness for the Glory of God Review
Summary
Dunlops (2014) key point in Wellness for the Glory of God: Living Well after 40 with Joy and Contentment is that total wellness is not just about physical health but rather should be considered in a holistic sensei.e., it should comprise physical, mental, social, financial, spiritual, and emotional wellness. Additionally, wellness is personalits meaning changes from person to person and it cannot be arbitrarily configured so that a one-size-fits-all definition of wellness is applied to everyone. However, if there is core principle to the concept of wellness it is this: wellness depends upon living with a purpose that goes beyond the here and now (Dunlop, 2014, p. 12). In other words, wellness is achieved when one has a vision that is larger than life and holds onto the vision in spite of obstacles.
Dunlop (2014) shows in the book, with each chapter devoted to one of the six aspects of wellness, that wellness is derived by maintaining the six interconnected areas of ones beingi.e., the physical, mental, social, and so on. If one area is lacking, the whole being might suffer as a resultso it is important that holistic care be provided in such a way that one can address all six aspects of ones wholeness. As people age, all six of these aspects become more and more apparent; in youth, one is apt to neglect care for one or another without much thought or concern. But in older age, one sees how important each aspect is.
To obtain wellness through wholeness, one must plan appropriately so that one can experience all spheres of life in harmony. The main binding principle that can bring harmony to all six spheres is to have the purpose of living to give glory to God. Since God is the creator of all things and deserving of praise and worship, Dunlop (2014) argues that God gives the ultimate context for achieving wellness in ones life.
Concrete Response
Dunlop (2014) makes a very good point about finding the purpose of life...
This principle allows one to focus not on oneself but rather on an object that is greater than oneself, that is supreme, eternal, and all-good. One can have a great many defects and imperfections, and if one focuses on these one will likely be dissatisfied throughout ones life. Wellness will never be achieved; but if one focuses on giving glory to what is the ultimate good, which is God, one can be well in all six of the spheres defined by Dunlop. It does require some faith, but faith is important to wellness, as Dunlop argues and as my own life experience shows.
For instance, in my...
…to God. The book gives a good framework for making that happen, tying in physical health to
mental health,
financial health and spiritual health, and so on, and showing why and how they all go together and what the unifying principle is, which is trusting in and living entirely for God. When one lives for oneself, the spheres become overwhelming because no one person has the
power to control all those spheres much less any one single sphere. Why? God is in chargeit is that simple. When we put our faith and
trust in God, we suddenly see that God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. It is a great blessing to be able to realize that. I can help others to realize that in my own life coaching by asking them questions about their beliefs, about what it is they live for, and about how it is they seek to make themselves whole. I would use
logic and dialoguing to help them begin to see that the healthiest way to live is not to live for oneself but rather to live for God, since God is the one Who makes things happen, Who gives life, and Who ultimately calls us all back to Him at the end of our time. If were not living for that purpose, were not living for…
