"The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness."— Abraham Maslow, American Psychologist
WELLNESS is defined as the quality or state of being in good health, especially as an actively sought or pursued goal. Pfizer calls wellness the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes, so that instead of just surviving, you're thriving. Promoting wellness is interesting coming from a pharmaceutical company. In the US a lot of focus is placed on treatment of illness, and not on its prevention by way of engaging wellness practices like: meditation, exercise, quality sleep, healthy diet, eliminating stress, and drinking lots of water.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) say that wellness is a holistic integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit. Holistic means characterized by the belief that the parts of something are interconnected and can be explained only by reference to the whole. In medicine, holistic is the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of an illness. Merely saying or meditating on the words wellness, holistic, and whole...is relieving.
Wellness is intentional. In John 5, Jesus healed a man with a 38-year infirmity at the pool of Bethesda. Verse 6 says, "When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” One might think , "Obviously this guy wants wellness," but that's not always the case. This is especially true when the condition has been long-lasting, and there seems little hope for change. We must decide.
Jesus' question prompted introspection in the man. "If there were really a way for me to get out of this predicament...would I do it?" We think we'd automatically say yes until we look at how we've engaged habits we know would make us well... such as therapy or self-care. When we consider our practice (or lack thereof) of spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible study, and participating in a healthy confessing community—we might find we really don't want to be well...at least not yet. This man's initial response was to give Jesus reasons why wellness hadn't come to him, "7The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Once a year an Angel stirred the waters of the pool. Whoever got in first was healed.
This man was isolated, alone, infirm, and dependent on others for his subsistence. His paralysis was not just physical. Can you imagine sitting right beside the place of healing, watching others receive it year after year? He repeatedly saw them being relieved of their burdens while he retained his. Jesus was undaunted by this man's situation. It did not matter how long it had been, how often he'd been denied, how many others he'd seen healed, or how disappointed he had become. If he truly wanted to be well...wellness could begin that day. I'm so glad Jesus can intervene to alter the course of events at any moment! He even allowed the man to have some agency in his own deliverance, "8Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked." He'd evidently had some culpability for his predicament because14Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” Healing was a form of forgiveness and restoration for this man. I love that Jesus addressed that part privately.
WELLNESS is available to you and to me. It's often a matter of whether or not we really want it, will choose to make decisions toward it, and will believe and follow the commands of the LORD to obtain it. I pray you will be well in Jesus' name! | 
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