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Wellbeing Journey

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Y O U R <strong>Wellbeing</strong> J O U R N E Y


2<br />

invitation<br />

Y O U R


Imagine living your best life...<br />

reaching that point where everything<br />

falls into place…<br />

Imagine experiencing life to the full,<br />

firing on all cylinders...<br />

Imagine discovering complete<br />

wellbeing in every area of life...<br />

Where we are struggling, we’ll find<br />

breakthrough. Where we’re lost, we’ll<br />

find guidance and where there’s hurt,<br />

we’ll see healing and restoration.<br />

Joanna Adeyinka introducing<br />

The <strong>Wellbeing</strong> <strong>Journey</strong> film series, which<br />

she presents with Simon Thomas.<br />

This is your invitation to join<br />

The <strong>Wellbeing</strong> <strong>Journey</strong><br />

3


W H E R E A R E W E<br />

going?<br />

4


On The <strong>Wellbeing</strong> <strong>Journey</strong> we are aiming for:<br />

• higher levels of physical energy & health<br />

• increased emotional freedom & peace<br />

• profound spiritual contentment<br />

• deeper relationships & harmony with<br />

others<br />

• more of a financial margin & scope<br />

to live generously<br />

• greater creativity & purpose in work<br />

– your vocation<br />

Jesus, the founder of Christianity,<br />

told his followers that he came so<br />

they can have real and eternal life<br />

(The Bible, John chapter 10 verse 10).<br />

The <strong>Wellbeing</strong> <strong>Journey</strong> is based on<br />

Jesus’ life and teaching and offers<br />

his invitation to abundant life.<br />

As we look at our physical, emotional,<br />

spiritual, relational, financial, and<br />

vocational wellbeing, we will discover that<br />

each of these areas is connected, and that<br />

God has a plan for our wellbeing.<br />

Focus on one area at a time<br />

– which of the six will you<br />

choose to start the journey?<br />

5


Y O U R<br />

‘We discover who we are when we<br />

discover whose we are.’<br />

Andy Croft, Soul Survivor Church, Watford<br />

<strong>Wellbeing</strong><br />

C H E C K-UP<br />

How do you rate your physical,<br />

emotional, spiritual, relational, financial,<br />

and vocational wellbeing? All these<br />

aspects of our personal wellbeing are<br />

interrelated and are vital to our<br />

satisfaction, contentment and joy in life.<br />

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First, let’s develop a wellbeing mindset<br />

• know where you’re really at<br />

• know who you really are<br />

• know that you can really change<br />

Assess your current wellbeing in the six<br />

key areas - take a test at<br />

wellbeingjourney.org/check.<br />

You are priceless to me.<br />

I love you... Do not be afraid.<br />

I am with you.<br />

The Bible, God’s words through<br />

the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 43:4).<br />

PHYSICAL EMOTIONAL SPIRITUAL RELATIONAL FINANCIAL VOCATIONAL<br />

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C H A N G E I S<br />

possible!<br />

‘The link between a healthy<br />

mindset and our overall wellbeing<br />

can be medically verified...’<br />

8<br />

Dr Dave Smith,<br />

in God’s Plan For Your <strong>Wellbeing</strong><br />

Dr Henry Cloud says there are three<br />

predictable ways we react when things<br />

go wrong:<br />

• Personal: I think I’m a failure; it’s all<br />

my fault<br />

• Pervasive: we go further... everything<br />

I do is a failure<br />

• Permanent: we end up thinking,<br />

it will always be like this


How can we reverse the downward spiral?<br />

Dr Cloud recommends three things:<br />

1. Dispute negative thinking. Our<br />

personal, pervasive and permanent<br />

thoughts are often false. Name them,<br />

write them down and challenge them<br />

with the truth.<br />

2. Get back control. Write a list of things<br />

you can and can’t control. Act on what<br />

you can control and don’t take<br />

responsibility for what you can’t control.<br />

3. Connect with others. When in a crisis,<br />

having meaningful relationships is a<br />

vital key.<br />

Don’t live the way this<br />

world lives. Let your way of<br />

thinking be completely<br />

changed.<br />

(Romans 12:2)<br />

9


PHYSICAL<br />

physical<br />

W E L L B E I N G<br />

Exercise, good sleep and healthy eating<br />

all contribute to our physical wellbeing.<br />

And, as Steve Uppal says on The<br />

<strong>Wellbeing</strong> <strong>Journey</strong>, ‘You can’t just<br />

separate physical wellbeing from<br />

everything else. It has a direct impact on<br />

mental and emotional health as well.’<br />

10


Steve knows from experience. ‘I was out of<br />

control and suffering from lack of energy,<br />

and disturbed sleep.’ He lost 5st (32kg) by<br />

exercising and eating less processed food.<br />

He cut out fast food and fizzy drinks first.<br />

He recommends ‘Small steps in the right<br />

direction made over time add huge<br />

benefits to our lives.’<br />

Rugby player Jamie Jones-<br />

Buchanan says track your<br />

physical activity and make<br />

yourself accountable. What<br />

works best for you – an app, a<br />

diary, reminders from a friend?<br />

I pray that you may<br />

enjoy good health<br />

and that all may go<br />

well with you.<br />

(3 John 2, NIVUK)<br />

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PHYSICAL<br />

sleep<br />

+ EAT W E L L<br />

12<br />

‘I like being a GP because we deal with<br />

people holistically...when one part is failing<br />

it affects the other parts of our wellbeing.’<br />

Dr Nkiru Oluwatosin


‘When we sleep our bodies go into a<br />

restorative mode – we are able to function<br />

better and have our strength replenished,’<br />

says GP Dr Nkiru Oluwatosin. For good<br />

sleep, avoid screens, caffeine and alcohol<br />

before bedtime, she says, and follow the<br />

NHS Eat Well guide for a healthy,<br />

balanced diet.<br />

Set a realistic goal, share<br />

it with others and then<br />

get started. Don’t be<br />

discouraged if you fail. Keep<br />

going – it will be worth it!<br />

You created the deepest<br />

parts of my being. You put<br />

me together inside my<br />

mother’s body. How you made<br />

me is amazing and wonderful.<br />

I praise you for that.<br />

King David (Psalm 139:13-14)<br />

13


EMOTIONAL<br />

emotional<br />

W E L L B E I N G<br />

Hope is the thing we need to pick up on<br />

in moments when life feels bad. The<br />

research seems to suggest that hopeful<br />

people believe four things:<br />

• The future is better<br />

• That you and I have a contribution to<br />

make to bring about that better future<br />

• There are loads of ways of getting there<br />

• All these ways involve frustration,<br />

difficulty and effort in some way<br />

That makes hope different from optimism.<br />

Psychologist Dr Roger Bretherton,<br />

University of Lincoln<br />

14


‘Push down emotion; project false<br />

strength and hopefully get through by<br />

being a closed book – that’s not helpful’<br />

says Will van der Hart, director of the Mind<br />

and Soul Foundation. ‘Instead find people<br />

who want to listen non-judgmentally; who<br />

give you the opportunity to articulate how<br />

you feel with helpful questioning.’<br />

Nothing at all can ever<br />

separate us from God’s love.<br />

That’s because of what Christ<br />

Jesus our Lord has done.<br />

(Romans 8:39)<br />

15


EMOTIONAL<br />

gratitude ATTITUDE<br />

When <strong>Wellbeing</strong> <strong>Journey</strong> presenter<br />

Simon Thomas’s wife died suddenly,<br />

Simon and his young son Ethan had to<br />

work through a range of emotions.<br />

They made a ‘gratitude jar’ and added<br />

a note every day about something<br />

they were grateful for. ‘It is worth<br />

reminding ourselves that, even when<br />

we go through tough times, there is<br />

stuff to be grateful for,’ says Simon.<br />

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‘Being present’ is very much in vogue<br />

today, often linked to the term<br />

‘mindfulness’. The Christian approach to<br />

being mindful includes this call to be<br />

present to ourselves but [also] to the God<br />

who is always present to us. It is about<br />

learning, along with the psalmist, to ‘be<br />

still and know that I am God’ (Psalm<br />

46:10).’ Dr Dave Smith in God's Plan For<br />

Your <strong>Wellbeing</strong><br />

Always give thanks to God<br />

the Father for everything. Give<br />

thanks to him in the name of<br />

our Lord Jesus Christ.<br />

(Ephesians 5:20)<br />

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SPIRITUAL<br />

18<br />

spiritual<br />

W E L L B E I N G<br />

‘God loves you and wants to know you.<br />

God made himself knowable through the<br />

person of Jesus – that is God come to<br />

earth, fully alive and fully well. To be fully<br />

well is to invite Jesus – God made<br />

knowable – to meet you and fill you with<br />

his Spirit.’ Bible teacher and student<br />

leader Miriam Swanson


‘The reality of faith is that sometimes it is<br />

like wrestling. There’s a verse in the Bible<br />

that says “You will seek me and you will<br />

find me when you seek me with all your<br />

heart…” I don’t think God is trying to make<br />

it difficult for us. But he wants partnership<br />

with us.’ Pete Greig, instigator of the 24-7<br />

Prayer movement<br />

God so loved the world<br />

that he gave his one and only<br />

Son. Anyone who believes in<br />

him will not die but will<br />

have eternal life.<br />

(John 3:16)<br />

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SPIRITUAL<br />

A R E Y O U<br />

thirsty?<br />

20


Jesus broke first century social taboos and<br />

asked a woman for a drink of water. It led<br />

to a conversation about quenching<br />

spiritual thirst. Jesus said: ‘Anyone who<br />

drinks the water I give them will never be<br />

thirsty. In fact, the water I give them will<br />

become a spring of water in them. It will<br />

flow up into eternal life.’<br />

The conversation was reported by one of<br />

Jesus’ closest friends, a man called John<br />

who wrote an eye-witness account of<br />

Jesus’ life. You can read the whole story<br />

in the Bible book of John chapter 4.<br />

In the fifth century, Saint<br />

Augustine famously said:<br />

You [God] have made us for<br />

yourself, and our hearts<br />

are restless, until they can<br />

find rest in you.<br />

21


SPIRITUAL<br />

‘God speaks to everybody.<br />

There are no favourites; no special people.’<br />

Pastor Agu Irukwu<br />

TA K E<br />

time out<br />

Simon Thomas’s take-home lesson from<br />

The <strong>Wellbeing</strong> <strong>Journey</strong> came from talking<br />

to Pastor Agu Irukwu, UK leader of the<br />

Redeemed Christian Church of God: ‘It was<br />

a reminder that developing our relationship<br />

with God means carving out time, being<br />

disciplined when it comes to listening to<br />

him. It doesn’t mean everything becomes<br />

easy but some of the other areas in life –<br />

our emotional wellbeing, our finances, our<br />

jobs – do become easier to manage even<br />

if they aren’t going particularly well.’<br />

22


Pastor Agu: How to hear from God<br />

1. Firstly, show up. Set a time and get<br />

into a pattern of meeting with God.<br />

2. Secondly, study the Bible. Create time<br />

to read, study and meditate on the<br />

Word of God.<br />

3. Then intentionally develop a<br />

relationship with God’s Holy Spirit.<br />

Since he’s the one who’s going to do<br />

the speaking – it’s through his Spirit to<br />

my spirit that God speaks – so we<br />

should pay attention to him.<br />

Simon described the experience of hearing<br />

from God as ‘rocket fuel’ and ‘a rudder’ for<br />

life and Pastor Agu agreed: ‘My life unravels<br />

once that part of my life is out of sync.’<br />

Call to me and<br />

I will answer...<br />

God’s words in the Bible,<br />

(Jeremiah 33:3)<br />

23


RELATIONAL<br />

relational<br />

W E L L B E I N G<br />

‘We need people to help us survive,<br />

especially when we are young and<br />

vulnerable. But we need relationships to<br />

thrive in terms of our emotional wellbeing.<br />

We can take for granted that the<br />

relationships we have will automatically<br />

be good, but “no investment, no return”.<br />

At times my clients got the best of me, but<br />

my family got the dregs. It’s important to<br />

never take those intimate relationships for<br />

granted.’ Motivational speaker and bestselling<br />

author Paul McGee – the Sumo Guy.<br />

24


‘The grass is always greener when it’s<br />

watered.’ How can we invest in our<br />

relationships?<br />

Paul McGee – the Sumo Guy<br />

Jesus not only modelled the need for<br />

community, but he set up a community<br />

that we could all be a part of: the Church.<br />

While not everyone has the privilege of<br />

a close, healthy, nuclear family, all of us<br />

can discover and develop community<br />

within the context of a local church<br />

– the family of God.<br />

Be kind and tender<br />

to one another.<br />

Forgive one another.<br />

(Ephesians 4:32)<br />

25


RELATIONAL<br />

‘We are hard-wired for a<br />

relationship with God and<br />

relationships with other people.’<br />

Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf, HOPE Together<br />

L E A R N T O<br />

forgive<br />

Paul McGee says, ‘Forgiveness is not<br />

actually for the benefit of others; it is<br />

ultimately to benefit you... Life can leave<br />

you bitter or it can make you better. It’s a<br />

choice. When we punish someone else for<br />

what they’ve done to us, we punish<br />

ourselves even more.’<br />

26<br />

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‘It is not good for us to be alone. We all<br />

need other people – people to connect<br />

with; people who know us. Social media<br />

can’t be everything we need relationally.’<br />

Liverpool vicar Kate Wharton, author of<br />

Single Minded: Being single and whole<br />

and living life to the full.<br />

Find your delight in the Lord.<br />

Then he will give you everything<br />

your heart really wants.<br />

(Psalm 37:4).<br />

Our seeking will lead to finding,<br />

as God increasingly reveals himself<br />

to us, satisfying our deep spiritual<br />

thirst in a way that only he can.<br />

27


FINANCIAL<br />

financial<br />

W E L L B E I N G<br />

‘We can do so much with our<br />

money when we have the<br />

right attitude towards it.’<br />

Roy Crowne, HOPE Together<br />

28


Worries about money are one of the<br />

main causes of stress. Instead of huge<br />

financial anxiety and stress, imagine living<br />

in financial peace: having a margin each<br />

month, with opportunities to save for the<br />

future and to give generously to help<br />

others in need.<br />

John Kirkby from Christians Against<br />

Poverty (CAP) asks: ‘Have you got a<br />

budget? Have you worked out what your<br />

income is; your regular expenditure; the<br />

things you want to save up for? A budget<br />

is the cornerstone of great finances. Then<br />

decide what’s important to you. How you<br />

use your money reflects who you are.’<br />

Don’t worry about<br />

anything. No matter<br />

what happens, tell God<br />

about everything.<br />

(Philippians 4:6)<br />

29


FINANCIAL<br />

counting<br />

T H E C O S T<br />

Alan and Julie found help from CAP<br />

when their debts were out of control.<br />

They said: ‘CAP worked out what we<br />

could afford to pay each month. Then<br />

they went to all our creditors and worked<br />

out a plan for us. It took about 18 months<br />

to pay everything off. We are now debt<br />

free! It’s like a huge weight off our<br />

shoulders. We can get up in the morning<br />

without worrying about the day.’<br />

30<br />

30


Practical action<br />

1. Assess where you’re at financially.<br />

2. Develop a budget. Know what you can<br />

afford to spend. Don’t exceed it.<br />

3. Do everything you can to stay out<br />

of debt.<br />

4. Avoid impulse spending.<br />

5. Cultivate a habit of thankfulness for<br />

what you do have, rather than focusing<br />

on what you don’t have.<br />

Earn all you can, give all<br />

you can, save all you can.<br />

John Wesley, the 18th century<br />

preacher and co-founder of the<br />

Methodist Church<br />

31


VOCATIONAL<br />

vocational<br />

W E L L B E I N G<br />

‘The Japanese word ikigai translates as “a reason<br />

for being” or “the reason for which you wake up<br />

in the morning”. Being clear on our ikigai or life<br />

purpose is crucial for our wellbeing. Studies have<br />

shown that those with a stronger sense of<br />

purpose tend to act in ways that increase their<br />

physical and mental wellbeing.’ Dr Dave Smith.<br />

What<br />

you are<br />

GOOD AT<br />

PASSION<br />

PROFESSION<br />

What you<br />

LOVE<br />

IKIGAI<br />

MISSION<br />

VOCATION<br />

What the<br />

world<br />

NEEDS<br />

32<br />

What you can be<br />

PAID FOR


When Joanna asked Dave Smith about<br />

how to find a vocation, he said, ‘Ask<br />

yourself what you’re good at. What do you<br />

enjoy doing? When you’re involved in this<br />

particular task, do you feel bored and<br />

distracted or do you lose all sense of time?<br />

Sometimes when you are doing what you<br />

were called to do, it can be hard…<br />

sometimes it just feels like fun.’<br />

We are God’s handiwork,<br />

created in Christ Jesus to do<br />

good works, which God<br />

prepared in advance for<br />

us to do.<br />

(Ephesians 2:10 NIV)<br />

33


VOCATIONAL<br />

L I V E<br />

purposefully<br />

‘If you want to know why you were placed<br />

on this planet, you must begin with God.<br />

You were born by his purpose and for his<br />

purpose... until you understand that, life<br />

will never make sense. It is only in God<br />

that we discover our origin, our identity,<br />

our meaning, our purpose, our<br />

significance, and our destiny. Every other<br />

path leads to a dead end.’ Rick Warren<br />

in The Purpose Driven Life<br />

34


‘It’s a mixture of understanding who we<br />

are and being aware of God being with<br />

us on the journey. There will be<br />

opportunities; there might be<br />

disappointments, but we are not on this<br />

journey alone... We walk this way once<br />

and we can make a difference.’ Jill<br />

Garrett, Tentpeg Consulting<br />

Make a careful exploration of who<br />

you are and the work you have been<br />

given, and then sink yourself into that.<br />

Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t<br />

compare yourself with others. Each of you<br />

must take responsibility for doing the<br />

creative best you can with your own life.<br />

(Galatians 6:4-5 The Message)<br />

35


T I M E F O R<br />

action<br />

If this is the first time that you have<br />

realised that God has a plan for your<br />

wellbeing, how will you respond to his<br />

invitation to a flourishing abundant life?<br />

‘This is a journey – more like a<br />

marathon than a sprint. Be<br />

kind to yourself; don’t try to<br />

fix everything at once. Find<br />

the one key thing that you<br />

can do, that might have an<br />

impact across different areas<br />

of your life.’ Dr Dave Smith<br />

36


P R AY E R O Finvitation<br />

If you are not yet on this journey with<br />

Jesus, you can invite him to come into<br />

your life today. You could use this prayer:<br />

Lord Jesus,<br />

I admit my need of you and invite you to<br />

come and forgive me for living my own<br />

way so far. I believe that you died and<br />

rose again so that I can receive new joy,<br />

purpose, hope and wellbeing. Please<br />

come into my life and fill me with your<br />

Holy Spirit. I commit to follow you and<br />

your ways all the days of my life.<br />

Amen!<br />

37


H E L P F O R T H E<br />

journey<br />

This booklet is based on The <strong>Wellbeing</strong><br />

<strong>Journey</strong> devised by Dr Dave Smith and<br />

produced for HOPE Together and<br />

KingsGate Church, Peterborough, by Fruit<br />

Media. The presenters are Joanna Adeyinka<br />

and Simon Thomas. Dave’s book, God’s<br />

Plan For Your <strong>Wellbeing</strong> (Waverley Abbey<br />

Resources), is a 50-day guide to the journey.<br />

Find out more about The <strong>Wellbeing</strong><br />

<strong>Journey</strong> at wellbeingjourney.org<br />

Don’t try to travel alone. Millions of<br />

followers of Jesus meet together<br />

regularly – often in a church building.<br />

Find out more about following Jesus<br />

at a church near you.<br />

38


Words: Catherine Butcher<br />

Design: Darren Southworth,<br />

s2.design 020 8771 9108<br />

Print: Belmont Press Ltd<br />

Copyright: HOPE Together<br />

Order more copies of this booklet at<br />

hopetogether.org.uk/shop<br />

Bible quotations are from the New International<br />

Reader’s Version unless otherwise stated.<br />

Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version<br />

(NIrV), Anglicised Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998,<br />

2014 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved<br />

worldwide.<br />

Together<br />

in partnership with<br />

Hope For Every Home<br />

39


I know the plans I have for you,’<br />

announces the Lord. ‘I want you<br />

to enjoy success. I do not plan to<br />

harm you. I will give you hope for<br />

the years to come.<br />

(The Bible, Jeremiah 29:11)<br />

Together

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