Here’s the fourth of an eight-part devotional for men based upon my chapter on health in Coach Joe Gibbs best-selling book, Gameplan for Life. The devotional was featured by the Men of Integrity ministry of Christianity Today. I hope you enjoy the series. Here’s Part 4 of 8:
THE SERIES’ THEME: Healthy Through and Through. What does it mean to be a truly healthy man of God?
THE EMOTIONAL WHEEL
KEY BIBLE VERSE: A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired. (Proverbs 17:22, The Message) Dig Deeper: Proverbs 14:30, 15:13
My friend Ben is a model of emotional health. For years, I’ve watched him handle whatever life throws at him. He doesn’t pretend things are better than they are, nor does he treat the inevitable letdowns of human existence as catastrophes.
Ben is comfortable with his own emotions, neither running from nor chasing down the lows and highs along his journey. Now in his 40s, Ben is one of the most authentic people I’ve ever known. His willingness to lean into and experience the rich scope of emotion inspires me to do the same, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Being mentally healthy requires healthy brain function. Charles, a former patient of mine, lives with a severe, inherited form of chemical depression. This dysfunction, if untreated, throws his physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual wheels out of balance.
At his worst, Charles loses his appetite, motivation, and concentration. But by taking a prescribed medication, eating right, exercising, and proactively balancing his other wheels, Charles has been able to dramatically decrease the impact that his depression would otherwise have on his mental and emotional health.
MY RESPONSE: What lessons about caring for my emotional health could I take from Ben? From Charles?
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THOUGHT TO APPLY: Cheerfulness, sir, is the principle ingredient in the composition of health.—Arthur Murphy (Irish actor, writer)
I have a free assessment tool that can help you evaluate your four wheels of health. You can take it now, or at the end of this devotional series. You can download it for free here.
You can learn more about this principle in my book, 10 Essentials of Happy, Healthy People: Becoming and staying highly healthy. Autographed copies are available here.

Here’s the entire series:

• Part 1 – Introduction
• Part 2 – The Four Wheels of Health
• Part 3 – The Physical Wheel of Health
• Part 4 – The Emotional Wheel of Health
• Part 5 – The Relational Wheel of Health
• Part 6 – The Spiritual Wheel of Health
• Part 7 – Examine Your Wheels
• Part 8 – Concluding Bible Study

Adapted from Game Plan for Life (Tyndale, 2009) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.