Concepts for Wholeness

So what DO you need to do on the road to being whole?  There is no "one official list", or set of criteria, but this list will be of use to you, and may be of some surprise.

Here are some of the attributes of the road to wholeness.  If you would travel this road you should contemplate these, and other attributes, and strive to make them a natural part of your self.

Be at peace, love, be joined together, be devoted, honor, rejoice with, sorrow with, live in harmony with, accept, instruct, greet, agree with, wait upon, be concerned for, serve, carry, be kind to, forgive, submit, bear with, teach and admonish, encourage, build, spur, offer hospitality, minister, be humble, confess, pray for, and fellowship with one another.


Let's look at this list more closely:

  1. Be at peace with others.  Peace is from an ancient word relating to "pact", meaning to be "fastened" in accord with one another.  Peace is agreeing to mutual harmony, if not unison.  The objective is to create greater security for those you are associated with.


  1. Love others.  From an ancient word meaning "care, desire." To love others is to have a caring concern for the welfare of others. A caring desire to tend to the welfare of others is love.


  1. Be joined to one another.  To be "joined" is from an ancient word meaning "unite".  The enlightened unite with one another and with others in carrying on their lives.


  1. Be devoted to each other.  "Devotion" is from an ancient word describing the action of taking a vow--a solemn promise or pledge.  One’s word should be as a solemn promise or pledge to care for, and secure, those who less able then themselves.


  1. Honor each other.  "Honor" means "glory, renown, and earned fame."  It also means "dignity and reputation."  Those who are whole uphold the honor, dignity, and reputation of those around them.


  1. Rejoice with each other.  The enlightened find joy in those around them.


  1. Weep with each other.  To "weep" is to shout out and shed tears.  Those who are whole share both the good times and the bad times with each other.


  1. Live in harmony with each other.  Harmony is from ancient words indicating that something fits together nicely.  To be whole is to try to fit together with each other and the world around them to the best of their ability.


  1. Accept one another. To accept is to "receive willingly."  "Willingly" is to make a choice.  The enlightened make a choice to receive one another and those around them so that they may fulfill their duty unto them.


  1. Instruct one another.  Related to the word "structure", to "instruct" someone is to build them up.  The enlightened are to help each other to build themselves, and the world around them, into something better than they are in the current moment.


  1. Greet one another.  To "greet" is to "salute with a sign of respect."  To "greet" is also to "cry out."  Joyfully cry out to others with signs of respect and salutation.


  1. Agree with one another.  To agree does not necessarily mean "to approve of", or "to grant."  To agree is to "receive with favor, with good will."  The word is a derivative of the word "grace" indicating honor.  The enlightened receive with favor, honor, and with good will,  if possible, those around them.


  1. Wait for one another.  The word "wait" is from an Old French Word meaning "to watch".  In Old English it is wacian "to be awake."  Unlike the current concept of “wholeness”, the enlightened are aware, awake, and vigilant to insure that their duties are carried out.  They are watchers of one another and not just “alert for racial prejudice and discrimination.”


  1. Show concern for each other.  Concern is perception and comprehension.  Those who are whole perceive and comprehend the needs of those around them.


  1. Serve one another.  "Serve" is from ancient words meaning "to render habitual obedience to."  Obedience is "to pay attention to."  Habitually pay attention to those around you.


  1. Carry one another's burdens.  A burden is something that someone is charged with caring for.  It is also an old word for a child.  To carry one another's burden was to assist each other in carrying out their charges, and caring for their "children."


  1. Be kind to each other.  To be "kind" is to be "friendly, natural, native, innate, originally "with the feeling of relatives for each other."  Those whole with the divine are natural and feel "in relation" to others.


  1. Forgive one another.  To "forgive" is to "give up", to "completely give" something over.  It is derived from old words meaning to "wholeheartedly let go" of something.  Seek to wholeheartedly let go of any thought or feeling that interferes with the carrying out your obligations.


  1. Submit to one another.  To submit is "to yield, lower, let down, put under, reduce" one's own ambitions and needs in favor of another.  It is also to place ones' self in the control of another.  The enlightened submit their own desires in favor of fulfilling their obligations.


  1. Bear with one another.  To bear with one another is to endure.  Because each is different and conflicts of interest and desires will arise, Strive to patiently endure with one another, focusing on the greater need of fulfilling obligations than upon the transient need of fulfilling self-desire.


  1. Teach and admonish.  To "teach" is from an ancient word meaning "to point out, to show."  To "admonish" is from old words meaning "to remind" and "to warn".  Knights point out and show new things to each other and remind and warn each other regarding their duties and obligations.


  1. Encourage one another.  To "encourage" is "to put in courage" into others.  "Courage" is "heart".  Seek to add to the "heart" of others.


  1. Build one another up.  To "build" is to "construct", specifically a dwelling.  Seek to CONstruct rather than to DEstruct the spiritual dwelling place of others.


  1. Spur each other on.  "Spur" is from an ancient word meaning "ankle" and carries the connotation of "kicking."  Help to press each other on using the means necessary to fulfill their obligations.


  1. Offer hospitality to each other.  "Friendliness to guests" is the definition of "hospitality". "Guest" is from the ancient word *ghostis indicating "strange, or stranger."  The enlightened offer friendliness, so far as they may, to other "spirits" or "souls" that they encounter.


  1. Minister gifts to one another.  A "gift" is something given or received.  To act as a "minister" is to be "one who acts upon the authority of another."  Those whole in the divine act upon the authority granted to them to give to and receive from each other and those around them as they may.


  1. Be humble toward one another.  "Humble" is from Latin meaning on the earth, humas, itself. Carrying the concepts of "soft, pliant, gentle" one can see that the chivalric are to be "gentle, courteous, kind" to one another--like soft, pliable, and gentle earth rather than hard baked, or swampy soil.  A Knight should be like humas used in planting, rather than rocky or swampy soil.


  1. Confess to one another.  To confess is to come together and admit something.  The act of confession requires that there be two, or more, who are willing to speak and to hear.  Those seeking wholeness confess where they have not lived up to their obligations for the purpose of building each other up and maturing.


  1. Pray for one another.  To "pray" is from an ancient word meaning to ask, to entreat.  Ask for help for others as well as for self.


  1. Fellowship with one another.  To be a "fellow" is to be a partner.  A fellowship is a partnership of those of similar mind and heart seeking to help each other grow.


So where did this list come from?  You might be surprised.  Here are the references from where this particular list of attributes arise.

  1. Salt is good. But if the salt has lost its taste [and become as sand] how can it be made salty again? You must have salt in yourselves and live in peace with one another.  --Mark 9:50


  1. I give you a new law. That law is, "Love each other." As I have loved you, so you also love each other. --John 13:34


  1. So also we are many persons. But in Christ we are one body. And each part of the body belongs to all the other parts.  --Romans 12:5


  1. Love each other deeply. Honor others more than yourselves.  --Romans 12:10


  1. Be joyful with those who are joyful. Be sad with those who are sad.  --Romans 12:15


  1. Agree with each other. Don't be proud. Be willing to be a friend of people who aren't considered important. Don't think that you are better than others. --Romans 12:16


  1. Christ has accepted you. So accept one another in order to bring praise to God. --Romans 15:7


  1. My brothers and sisters, I am sure that you are full of goodness. What you know is complete. You are able to teach one another  --Romans 15:14


  1. Greet one another with a holy kiss.  All the churches of Christ send their greetings.  --Romans 16:16


  1. Brothers and sisters, I ask all of you to agree with one another. I make my appeal in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then you won't take sides. You will be in complete agreement in all that you think. --1 Corinthians 1:10


  1. My brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for each other.  --1 Corinthians 11:33


  1. In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of each other.  --1 Corinthians 12:25


  1. My brothers and sisters, you were chosen to be free. But don't use your freedom as an excuse to live in sin. Instead, serve one another in love.  --Galatians 5:13


  1. Carry each others heavy loads. If you do, you will give the law of Christ its full meaning. --Galatians 6:2


  1. Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done. --Ephesians 4:32


  1. Follow the lead of one another because of your respect for Christ. --Ephesians 5:21


  1. Put up with each other. Forgive the things you are holding against one another. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you. --Colossians 3:13


  1. Let Christ's word live in you like a rich treasure. Teach and correct each other wisely. Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing with thanks in your hearts to God.  --Colossians 3:16


  1. So cheer each other up with the hope you have. Build each other up. In fact, that's what you are doing.  --1 Thessalonians 5:11


  1. Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works.  --Hebrews 10:24


  1. Welcome others into your homes without complaining.  --1 Peter 4:9


  1. God's gifts of grace come in many forms. Each of you has received a gift in order to serve others. You should use it faithfully.  --1 Peter 4:10


  1. Young men, follow the lead of those who are older. All of you, put on a spirit that is free of pridetoward each other as if it were your clothes. Scripture says, "God opposes those who are proud. But he gives grace to those who are not." —(Proverbs 3:34)  --1 Peter 5:5


  1. So admit to one another that you have sinned. Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. It makes things happen.  --James 5:16


  1. But suppose we walk in the light, just as he is in the light. Then we share life with one another.And the blood of Jesus, his Son, makes us pure from all sin.   --1 John 1:7


So there is some food for thought as to "how to do it" on the road to wholeness.  There are other sources for similar commands and you may be able to offer a few additional ones of your own, but the basic, core of divine wholeness is well summed up in these passages of spiritual/physical, self/others centered, admonitions for balance.