KEEPING SOUND

1 Thessalonians 5:23

²³ May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The expression to be “kept sound” is one that we often don’t use much anymore. It is mostly used in the phrase “being of sound mind and body” when we are reviewing someone’s mental and physical capacity to make a decision or embark on a journey. To be sound is to be complete and have all our pieces together.

This passage is part of a larger text that reminds us that we need to keep alert and active in our faith. Although our circumstances are different than those in Thessalonica and the early church, we do have a lot that can tear us and keep us from being our complete selves. This is a busy world with a lot going on all the time. From taxes, to work, to healthcare, to paying bills, to worrying about others, there is always a lot going on in this world and we have to try very hard most of the time to remain sound in ourselves. This text serves as a blessing and reminder of how important it is to take care of all aspects of ourselves: our spirit, souls and body. We need all parts of us to be healthy and complete and that require us to tend to our spiritual and physical gardens.

One of the ways that we can praise God is to take good care of the bodies, souls and spirits that we have been given. To take good care of them, giving them the good fuel that they need and spending time in prayer and devotion, we honor the gifts of God by appreciating all parts of ourselves in gratitude.

Prayer

Holy God, thank you for the gift of our spirits, souls and bodies. Help us take good care of all parts of what we have been given so that we can be good servants to you and to others. Just as you take care of us, you also call us to take care of ourselves and others. In your name, Amen.