Living to Give Glory to God

Wellness for the Glory of God Review

Summary

Dunlop’s (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 sense—i.e., it should comprise physical, mental, social, financial, spiritual, and emotional wellness. Additionally, wellness is personal—its 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 one’s being—i.e., the physical, mental, social, and so on. If one area is lacking, the whole being might suffer as a result—so it is important that holistic care be provided in such a way that one can address all six aspects of one’s 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 one’s life.

Concrete Response

Dunlop (2014) makes a very good point about finding the purpose of life by giving glory to God. 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 one’s 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 own life there was a period where I wrestled with faith and really tried to see if I could live without it. I did not want to feel inferior to anyone or anything; I wanted to live for me, as the saying goes. Yet I never experienced happiness or contentment or fullness or wellness for even one minute during this time. It was only when I returned to faith and abandoned this love for self that I had clung to that I began to feel alive for the first time in a long time. By focusing my attention not on me but on how I could live in a way that was pleasing to God, I began to realize what it means to be truly content and happy and well. I no longer had the same kind of mental distress or the same anxiety over finances; I no longer feared social settings, or regretted my lack of friends. I sought out acquaintances in the faith community, and made friends who shared this principle of giving glory to God as the center of their lives. It really made all the difference for me personally as I went from a person dealing with depression, anxiety, unhappiness, etc., to being a person who felt well and whole.

Reflection with Insight

One question I have for Dunlop, however, is this: how can people come to faith if they do not have it already? I grew up in a faith tradition, and so the idea was not foreign to me. I had been educated to have faith in God, and it was only later in my life that I began to challenge that education and test it. Some people, though, never are given that education—so they might not be able to apply the principle that Dunlop (2014) explains so clearly for a person who understands faith. My question is this: can a person without faith come to see the merits of applying the faith principle to the issue of wellness?

Dunlop (2014) gives many examples of how the faith principle is applied by others in their lives to help them achieve wellness in the various spheres of wholeness, but some further consideration on how faith might be obtained in the first place by a person or group of people who do not understand faith could make the work even stronger and fuller.

From a Christian worldview perspective, Dunlop’s (2014) arguments are correct and appropriate. I agree with them because they reflect fundamental Christian teachings and values. The Scriptures are clear about what the purpose of life is and how one can live most satisfyingly as a Christian. My own experience, moreover, bears this out, as I have tried to live both ways—with and without faith—and I find faith to be the right course when it comes to wellness. Dunlop (2014) never shies away from this principle of faith; in fact, it animates the entire book and is always the point that he comes back to again and again. Thus, it is written from a Christian worldview perspective and adequately reflects the main ideas and values of that worldview.

Application

This book can provide practical application to me as a life coach in the sense that it gives me, first of all, a great deal of food for thought on how I approach the concept of wellness with others. I love the six-sphere paradigm and how the spheres are interrelated. It makes it simple to understand the complexities of life. I also love the faith principle and how with a little faith the bigger picture becomes clearer and the smaller obstacles become less and less significant.

In my approach to life coaching, I want to be able to help others see that life is not about scoring big goals for oneself but rather about giving glory 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 charge—it 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 we’re not living for that purpose, we’re not living for any purpose.