Devine Coaching

Expanding My Definition of Wholeness

By Tammy Devine, Deacon

August 2026

Jesus replied:
” Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:37–40

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything has become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17

Being in Christ calls us to be light, love, generosity, and grace in our world. To look into God’s creation with wonder, delight, respect and care. Reflecting those qualities for others and recognizing those qualities in others is our call to wholeness.

For some of us we believe that call comes out of the waters of our baptism. A call to live as whole and holy people of God, caring for our bodies, minds, and spirits, loving our neighbors as ourselves seeing all that God has created as part of our completeness. . We are beloved by God, God is love as God’s hands and feet on earth we are called to shine forth, exude love, care and kindness to one another. We may find it difficult to believe we are loved and could possibly be that new creation in Christ. We recognize the ways we struggle to love ourselves, forgive ourselves let alone see that love in others. God’s creation.

We are formed, have inherited and shaped to look at self and others through a critical lens of judgement, in part to help us understand ourselves as separate from one another. A need to critique others shapes our belief systems. The lens of our ancestors create ways of seeing/being in the world. Their story shapes our view and interaction with the world.The obstacles that swirl within us that make it difficult to love ourselves may come in the form of negative thoughts of doubt and lack of self-worth.

There is something in all of us that can arouse hate. It may be an automatic response versus a thoughtful awareness of love, respect and dignity. Awareness is the first step toward transformation, recognizing the habits, and thoughts that have shaped us and consider how we might change these attitudes.

Ponder what beliefs, views have shifted in you as you have moved through the world. What would taking action look like? What habits, messages, or beliefs are you ready to let go of so you can be transformed to embrace the gift of living as a new creation. Transformation begins with small steps, beginning by identifying your first faithful step. Make that step specific, measurable, realistic, trackable and time sensitive. Invite a colleague or friend to walk with you. Share with them what you will need and how they can best support you.

Our first step toward loving another is to first love ourselves — each of us a unique gift created in God’s image – the imago deo. When we see the God within ourselves, and others – how can we possibly hate, disrespect, destroy? Replace these othering thoughts with thoughts of goodness, mercy and love allowing us to share that with one another, and all of God’s creation.

Seeing our connectivity with one another and God’s creation helps us embrace what it means to live as whole people of God. Wholeness is completeness, inclusivity, interconnectedness. We are the body of Christ individually, members of the whole. We need each other with our unique gifts to complete the body of Christ.

So in our brokenness, can we be whole? YES!

You have my permission to share this writing with others. Please credit Tammy Devine at Devine Coaching.