“As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.” – “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions”
Someone once said that health is the natural state of all living things. To maintain our health, we have the immune system, which fights off all kinds of disease, often without the aid of antibiotics or other drugs. But when the immune system is weakened, the body becomes vulnerable to infection and illness and must rely on medication or other treatments to recover.
In addition to the body’s immune system, we have a spiritual immune system that works much the same way. When it is strong, it defends us against spiritual illnesses like resentment, worry and self-centeredness. It does this without the dubious aid of spiritual “drugs” like alcoholic drinking, overeating (or undereating), compulsive shopping, hyperactivity or [insert your own].
As a bonus, a strong spiritual immune system works without the painful side effects of guilt, shame, fear and remorse that accompany our compulsive thoughts and behaviors.
I know that in order to keep my physical immune system strong, I need to eat well, exercise and get adequate sleep. And while these disciplines are also very helpful in boosting my spiritual immune system, there are others that have a more direct impact.