"Be cleansed."
-- Jesus (Mark 1:41)
Really think about this for a moment: Jesus was a human being. He was once a child, a teen, and an adult. He laughed and cried, felt joy and pain; He ate and drank, studied and learned; He was at times happy and frustrated, curious and questioning. Just like you and me.
What then can we learn from Jesus -- this human being like us -- about restoring and balancing our mind and body? How can we use His example as flesh and blood from long ago to refresh and invigorate our own flesh and blood today?
In this age of trendy detox regimens and diet fads, these seven pillars of The Jesus Cleanse are daily practices in healthy living and well being that have literally stood the test of time.
DAY 1: Stretch Your Connections
JESUS: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
Jesus found great joy and vitality in His close relationships with Mary and Joseph, friendships with the apostles, and interactions with people from all walks of life, including lepers, prostitutes, and tax collectors.
TODAY: Make an effort to better connect with one person -- a family member, friend, or stranger. From a place of sincerity and love, see how extending yourself like this energizes your mind and body.
DAY 2: Activate Your Potential
JESUS: "For assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." (Matthew 17:20-21)
Jesus renewed His resolve and vigor through fasting. This devotional practice rids the body of emotional and physical toxins, restoring clarity and empowering us to move the mountains of our life.
TODAY: Fasting may not be realistic for you, but this alternative is: For at least one meal, choose cleaner food options. Food that is natural, not processed; and created without pesticides, preservatives, antibiotics, or cruelty. Mindfully trace each bite back to its source of seed and land. Discover how these food choices make you feel lighter and refreshed.
DAY 3: Boost Your Simplicity
JESUS: "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a den of thieves." (Mark 11:17)
One of Jesus' most dramatic moments is when He tosses the greedy merchants out of the Temple. This is known as the cleansing of the Temple. Unfortunately, we often channel those merchants, turning our lives into dens of chaos, greed, stress, and materialism that bury us alive.
TODAY: Choose one small corner of your life -- at home, at work, wherever. Clean, organize, or declutter it. Discover how simplifying reduces your cravings for more things and revives harmony inside and out.
DAY 4: Fuel Your Forgiveness
JESUS: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
Zoom in on this image: Jesus -- a human being like us beaten savagely, bloody, parched -- offering forgiveness to His persecutors.
TODAY: Visualize someone who has hurt or wronged you. In your mind, look them in the eye and say, "I forgive you." Repeat this practice -- once, twice, seventy times seven -- until your words become truth and your immunity to such grudges is boosted. Be mindful of how it feels emotionally and physically to have that weight lifted.
DAY 5: Exercise Your Helping Hand
JESUS: "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." (John 4:10)
Jesus' interactions with the woman at the well and many others teach us to withhold judgment and extend a helping hand. Through this, we see how having compassion for others can also repair and brighten our own pathway ahead.
TODAY: Find some way -- big or small -- to give a helping hand. Be sure to see the reflection of Jesus on the receiving end of your compassion. Feel how these acts of kindness nourish your mind and body.
DAY 6: Find Relief in Your Belief
JESUS: "Go your way; your faith has made you well." (Mark 10:52)
Amidst Jesus' miracles, one of the greatest revelations is how we have the power to heal ourselves through faith and actions. This starts with a belief in something greater than ourselves.
TODAY: Start a discussion with yourself by asking: What do I believe in? How can I use this belief to make my life better right now?
DAY 7: Go to Your Desert
JESUS: "You shall not live by bread alone." (Matthew 4:4)
Jesus spoke these powerful words after spending 40 cathartic days and nights alone in the desert. Sometimes we do need to be an island entire of itself, for our own good.
TODAY: Find an empty space where you can be alone and not interrupted. Allow yourself to be imperfect, to make mistakes, and to always learn something. Think about how The Jesus Cleanse has purified you so far. Then, chart where you would like to proceed from here, with the knowledge you now have, to live your best life.