Articles
The Complete Man
The Complete Man
When God created man, He created a very complex being. When we begin to look at what makes up a man — not his DNA or cellular structure, but his being and character — we see that there are four aspects or components. These four parts are the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual parts of man. To the worldly person, three of these parts are easily seen and agreed upon. However, we must understand that man has a God-given soul. This is important because our actions are dictated by our emotions, which should be controlled by our thoughts, all of which must be governed by our spirit, rooted in our relationship with God the Creator. Jesus addressed the whole of man when He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Mt. 23:37).
Physical: The first three parts of man are easily defined and observed in the world. Obviously, most people focus on the physical side of life. Our flesh and blood body is the most observable. Our actions, speech, and decisions are all physical manifestations of our character. We focus on nutrition and exercise, we consider what to wear, what jobs to take — all to care for our physical bodies. Indeed, it is good for us to think of these things are work hard at caring for the body God has given us.
Emotional: Our physical actions are ruled by our emotions. Because we were created in the image of God (cf. Gen. 1:27), we have the same emotional nature as God. God can be happy or sad, angry — even jealous. The difference is that God is in complete control of His emotions, and we often lose control of ours and end up doing things we regret. We have great capacity for emotion, and it is a very important part of what makes us up. God has given us relationships that allow us to develop, express, and strengthen our emotions. However, our emotions are not to rule us!
Mental: In the Bible, the heart spoken of as the thought center of man. Whatever we think or allow in our minds can create an emotional response, which in turn can lead to physical actions. For example, we may think about something someone did, that may make us angry, and we may say something hurtful. We must be extremely careful about what we allow into our minds, through our eyes and ears.
Spiritual: This is what makes us different from the animals. God made man in His own image and breathed life into him. He didn’t do this for any other part of creation. Because of this, we must rely on God and His word for guidance on how to direct our spirit! Paul tells us that God has shown us how to live: “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”
God wants us to focus primarily on our relationship with Him. That relationship, and respect for His word the Bible, is what should govern our every emotion, thought; and action! If we seek fulfillment on earth, we will only find vanity. Go beyond your body, your heart, and your mind, and look to heaven! "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” Eccl. 12:13-14.
