A wise and well rounded human knows and lives and breathes the following:
The dichotomy of the spirit vs the flesh, and how to suppress the flesh and walk in the spirit:
The spirit
- Needs
- The peace of companionship.
- Why? For it is not good for man to be alone. That’s just the nature of the spirit – how we’re programmed.
- The joy of loving and righteous fellowship.
- Why? The spirit craves healthy fellowship. That’s just the nature of the spirit – how we’re programmed.
- The peace of wisdom in:
- Salvation.
- Why? Knowing where you’re going to spend eternity is very peaceful.
- The future and prophecy.
- Why? Knowing where this world is headed and what the future holds brings peace of mind.
- The ways of God vs the ways of the world (from reading the bible).
- Why? To know how to navigate life the proper way brings much peace.
- Godly discernment.
- Why? To have an understanding of what’s truly happening is peace.
- Salvation.
- The peace of contentment:
- Which is the wisdom that the lust of the flesh (food/drink/stimulants/sex), the lust of the eyes (possessions) and the pride of life (I’m better for whatever reason) don’t bring any true peace and joy to the spirit.
- Why? The contentment of not needing those things for your peace and joy (which ultimately bring misery), and being satisfied with little, opens you up to focusing on the peace and joy of your spirit – and not being distracted by your flesh.
- The peace of a still and quiet mind.
- Why? Because it’s peace from the painful mental noise of chaos, stress, depression, anxiety, fear, worry, panic, nervousness, anger, bitterness, envy, etc.
- The peace and joy of knowing how to work:
- Slow and methodical; deeply focused on the task at hand; gentle, patient and self-controlled, quiet.
- Why? Because rushing and being pressured and forcing things brings a sense of overwhelmingness, chaos, anxiety, stress, panic, worry, nervousness.
- The peace of self-control not to get angry, knowing how to forgive on-the-fly and let go, returning kindness they don’t deserve (grace).
- Why? Because anger and bitterness are painful emotions that make life not worth living, and forgiveness and letting go is the sole key to getting rid of those emotions and in turn brings you peace and joy in a restored relationship.
- The peace of yielding and submitting to others.
- Why? Being headstrong and always needing things your way is prideful, stressful, and selfish, which are all feelings making life not worth living. Yielding to others and doing what they want to do, helping them selflessly, eases their burden and brings them joy and peace, and in turn brings you joy and peace. It’s a beautiful system that benefits yourself while benefiting others, vs selfishness which only benefits you.
- The peace of patience.
- Why? Because rushing and being pressured and forcing things brings a sense of overwhelmingness, chaos, anxiety, stress, panic, worry, nervousness – for you and the other.
- The peace of companionship.
The flesh
- Lusts after:
- Food and drink (the lust of the flesh).
- Alcohol/stimulants (the lust of the flesh).
- Sexuality (the lust of the flesh).
- Possessions (the lust of the eyes).
- Pride (thinking you’re better than others for whatever reason).
- Requiring strong self-control to:
- Not overeat and drink.
- Why? Health reasons, and food/drink are selfish needs: they don’t bring any joy and peace to the spirit, and they only benefit the flesh consuming them, in turn at the expense of the preparer, costing them tons of time, effort and money (and more time and effort to earn that money). And the flesh is never satisfied, once it gets a little, it wants a lot more, endlessly.
- Not get drunk/high.
- Why? Health reasons – dehydration, headaches, nausea, vomiting, blackouts and injuries, wooziness, dizziness, and getting drunk and high cause all sorts of mental strain making life not worth living – sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, stress, panic, worry, etc.
- Not lust over flesh.
- Why? Sexual lust perverts the way we look at all humans and the entire world – through the lens of sexuality, and it’s perverse and impure and creepy. It tears relationships apart, and desensitizes us to the purity and sanctity of sexual relations between a husband and wife, as well as the reason God programmed us for bodily lust in the first place – to simply entice a husband and wife to come together to procreate and populate the earth. Lustful people abuse this programming.
- Not overspend on possessions.
- Why? Possessions don’t bring the spirit any joy or peace. The desire for possessions is selfish – only benefitting oneself, all at the expense of the creator and acquirer, costing them much time, effort and money (and even more time and effort to earn that money). When the money used to acquire such useless possessions could be given to help the basic necessities of those who have literally nothing – no clothes or food or shelter or healthcare. See all the stores and the endless lust of the eyes within them – useless stuff that enslaves our spirit to our flesh with jobs and careers. If we were content with truly basic necessities, there would be very little industry that needed working, and much more peace and relaxation.
- Be humble despite your qualities and possessions.
- Why? Thinking you’re better than others for your qualities (say beauty, intelligence, athletic talent, etc.) or the amount and quality of your possessions and the wealth to acquire them, is just a lie. They ultimately don’t benefit anyone who is content, and the spirit just doesn’t care about these things – they don’t bring the spirit any joy or peace. Other spirits are what bring our spirit joy and peace (or misery – like a prideful person), and an exalted person according to the truth of the ways of God, is a humble spirit that loves God and follows His ways, and loves and helps all others. These types of people benefit others by bringing their spirit true joy and peace, in turn benefiting themselves with true joy and peace. Pride is selfish, and only seeks to benefit itself.
- Not overeat and drink.