Let’s talk about, what it means to be a person? You may have heard the idea that each person is made up of Body, Soul and Spirit.
The Body- The human body is the entire structure of a human being. It has a skeletal interior of bones that are bound together with tendons and ligaments. Then the exterior is composed of many different types of cells that together create tissues and subsequently organ systems. On the microscopic level DNA/RNA/Proteins[i] grow and repair tissue, bones and organs.
Physiology focuses on the systems and organs of the human body and their functions. Many systems and mechanisms interact in order to help the body function at full health.
It is truly amazing how the complex body, in all its diverse parts works so well together almost without effort.
Soul- noun – the moral and emotional nature of human beings
This consists of Thoughts, the Will and Emotions.
Thoughts– noun
- an idea or opinion produced by thinking or occurring suddenly in the mind.
“Maggie had a sudden thought”
synonyms: idea, notion, opinion, view, impression, feeling, theory; judgment, assessment, conclusion
“What are your thoughts on the matter?”
Will– will/ noun 1. the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action.
“She has an iron will”
synonyms: determination, willpower, strength of character, resolution, resolve, resoluteness, single-mindedness, purposefulness, drive, commitment, dedication, doggedness, tenacity, tenaciousness, staying power
“The will to succeed”
Emotions-emotion/noun 3. any strong agitation of the feelings actuated by experiencing love, hate, fear, etc., and usually accompanied by certain physiological changes, as increased heartbeat or respiration, and often overt manifestation, as crying or shaking. derived on the model of movoir: motion, from esmovoir to set in motion, move the feelings
Synonyms: feeling, passion, sentiment
Spirit-The English word “spirit” comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning “breath”
An incorporeal but ubiquitous, non-quantifiable substance or energy present individually in all living things.
This is what make you a unique person. You have a unique giftedness, personality, and temperament.
Each one of us have been born as a little baby. But did we just start growing only after we were born?
There is clearly a time when the process of new life begins. The process of new life beginning for humans is when a sperm and egg meet and a new life begins to grow and develop. During that growth, there are many stages in which all the characteristics that made you unique as a person develop in you.
The Spirit of a Person
When we talk about the “spirit” of a person, we could describe it best by asking the following question. What leaves the body when we die? I would suggest to you that it is the “spirit” of that individual person that leaves the body.
We have many people who have reported, “out of body experiences” that I believe illustrates the idea that the “spirit of a person” is the life source of each of us as individuals.
When we talk about a life source, we then have to consider where does that life source come from and where does it go when we take our last breathe?
I would like you to consider the possibility that there is a source of life that is far bigger than what we can understand, yet has given us many clear signposts to point us to identification and connection to that source of life.
Spiritual well-being has most to do with a belief system. We all have beliefs or guiding principles for our lives. Each individual forms beliefs or guiding principles through life experiences. The impact of life experiences whether they are traumatic or nurturing, contributes to how we look at people, our own abilities and flaws and our outlook on life.
Next: We will explore the source of life and what faith has to do with spiritual well-being.
[i] https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/basics/dna ; https://www.rnasociety.org/about/what-is-rna
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