Oct
31
2009
Our beliefs about God and spiritual things are the most important beliefs we have because they can have the most impact on our lives – as we live day to day and for all eternity.
What we believe determines how we behave to a very large degree. When our lifestyle choices are guided by our deep spiritual beliefs, our health can be positively impacted.
On one occasion, Jesus said in a loud voice, ” “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scriptures has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit (of God), whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” John 7:37-38
If we believe in Jesus and have accepted him into our heart, we are promised that God’s Holy Spirit is in us. The Spirit’s power enables us to live in a way that we could not otherwise live.
This is why I have identified the following Christian principles, among 38 others, to be health-promoting:
- Believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit
- Accept Jesus as Savior
- Believe the Holy Spirit Lives in You
The “streams of living water” that flow from within you, resulting from the above principles, will help you experience a healthier life than if your beliefs were otherwise. This “stream of water” is God’s Spirit and his associated power for living.
When I want to make a point about something… when I want to emphasize something.. I often raise my voice and talk louder than I usually talk. Did you notice in the scripture above that Jesus spoke in a loud voice? I suspect he was emphasizing this to those he was talking to. I hope you’ll agree with me that this is a very important spiritual truth that we should embrace and apply!
Questions to Reflect on:
Do you have a desire or a “thirst” to make a behavior change in your life?
Are you burdened by stressors in your life?
Jesus invites you to “drink” from his well and to go to him if you are weary and burdened by life circumstances. (Matthew 11:28) He promises that the Spirit of God will empower you to make desired lifestyle changes and meet your deep needs when circumstances in life are burdensome.
Related Resources:
An Invitation to Join God’s Family
A More Complete Biblical Basis for The Faith and Health Connection Ministry
Changing Behavior and God’s Holy Spirit – a Blog Post
Other Blog Posts on the Holy Spirit and Health
Oct
30
2009
Compliments of Crosscards.com
Oct
30
2009
How can we live life well, the way God intended us to, without knowing His guidelines? We can’t!
It’s so very clear to me that God did inspire the authors of the Holy Bible to write what they did so that we can know the one true God and how he wants us to live our life. See 2 Timothy 3:16.
When I learned of the initiative below, it seemed like a no-brainer to share it with the readers of this blog. Hope that one or two of you might be the recipients of a Bible so you can have the opportunity to know His truth, if you don’t already.
Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.
Oct
27
2009
We all have stress in our lives. It can be in the form of inconveniences, chronic problems or major life issues and events. Stress can come from long lines at the store or from the demands at home or work. We can also be stressed by the loss of a loved one or by holding deep resentment against someone.
When we experience or think about a stressful situation, our brain activates the nervous and endocrine systems to prepare to fight or flight. Hormones and chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline are released into the body. This results in an increase in metabolism, blood pressure and heart rate and can have other physiological affects that are harmful if they are continually released for long periods of time. Our challenge regarding our health is to minimize the frequency and length of time that our nervous system stays chronically aroused. We can do this with God’s help.
What the Research Says: The American Psychological Association indicates that 75-90% of all physician visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints. In a study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, researchers found that chronic stress at work and home increased people’s chances of developing colds by three to five times. Women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer who have also endured previous traumatic or stressful events see their cancer recur nearly twice as fast as other women, according to a report by a University of Rochester Medical Center scientist. In his book, Faith-Based Fitness, Kenneth Cooper, M.D. says “I find that my patients with the highest levels of stress and anxiety tend to have the most physical problems… a mind weighed down by cares and concerns may be the greatest threat to our health.”
What the Bible Says:
“As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.” Psalm 119:143. “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” Jesus in John 14:27.
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus in Matthew 11:28-29
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Jesus in John 16:33
What You Can Do: We can expect a certain degree of stress in our lives yet we can be better prepared to handle it if we start each day with some quiet time with God. Clearly, the days that I start off with devotional time go better than the days I don’t read devotional material and the Bible and spend time in prayer. If you’re not in the habit, consider taking just a few minutes in prayer to acknowledge God and ask Him to guide you throughout the day. To go deeper, open your Bible and read a few scriptures to allow His spirit to mix with yours. See if this makes a difference in how your day goes.
Do you have significant levels of anxiety or fear that torment you regularly? God wants to take it from you. Although current situations may initiate the fear or anxiety, it may be a deeper issue that is actually at the root of these strong emotions. I know of many people who have had debilitating anxiety associated with certain circumstances. Often, the anxiety was a matter of the person not being able to trust that the situation would work out okay. This inability to trust, and the associated anxiety or fear, was rooted in the fact that the person was hurt in the past by someone very close to them. If this applies to you, ask God to help you forgive the person and to fill you with His love.
In a similar way, issues such as insecurity, guilt, rejection or shame can be a major source of stress if these strong emotions linger deep in your spirit. Certainly behaviors such as exercise, eating well, getting adequate sleep and deep breathing exercises will help you manage these and other stressors. But, with these deeper issues, those behaviors are kind of like putting a bandage on a cut or bruise. God wants to attend to them at a deeper level. In prayer, ask God to reveal to you the root causes of these emotions and for restoration of these issues. Ask God to help you let go of these emotions and allow His love to heal your heart.
Finally, consider the impact your thinking has on your day to day quality of life. Do negative thought patterns contribute to inner stress? If so, what may be happening is that the evil one, the Devil, may be trying to keep you “tied up” in chains by putting images and ideas into your mind. He wants your thoughts to be focused on these lies because when you are stressed or thinking negatively, it’s hard for you to be doing God’s work effectively. There are several scriptures in the Bible that reveal how much He loves you and about your true identity in Him. One of my favorites is Ephesians 2:10. Read and then think on these truths. Consider speaking them aloud. I have found that when I do this regularly for a period of time, these truths begin to sink deep into my spirit. This changes my thinking and reduces my inner stress.
A Question to Reflect On:
Are you in the habit of asking God to help you manage the stress in your life? If not, tell Him your concerns, ask for His help and believe expectantly that you’ll receive it.
Resources on Stress and Your Health:
What I’ve written above is available in a nicely formatted article – Manage Stress With God’s Help – that can be printed and distributed.
A Web Page on My Ministry – Stress, Health and Your Faith
On My Blog – More Blog posts related to stress and stress management
Oct
27
2009
A few months ago I thought it would be a neat idea to search the net to identify as many solid blogs on the topic of health and wellness written by Christians, or at least those who openly profess their Christian faith. On more than a few occassions I’ve searched for such blogs and haven’t found many at all. The list below is a pretty short one, but at least it’s a start.
I’d like some help adding to this list. If you are a Christian blogger or know of a Christian blogger who maintains a blog on health or wellness that addresses topics of wellness from a faith perspective, please contact me – or add a comment here with the blog’s URL for consideration in this listing.
I’d also like to know if you have a health/wellness blog that you consider a favorite.
Thanks a bunch!
…………………………………………..
Based on your comments and feedback to me, these are the sites I’m adding to the listing:
Oct
23
2009
I’ve had a wonderful opportunity to spend some time with students at North Greenville University over the last two weeks. The school, affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention, is tucked up against the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains about a short drive south of Asheville and southwest of Charlotte, NC.
I was fortunate to spend two class periods with 12 students discussing spiritual fitness and wellness as Terry Sellers, a professor in the Science and Biology department, asked me to supplement his course, ‘Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Wellness’ with my material. For the most part, I used content from the workshop package “Your Personal Wellness – What’s Faith Got to Do with It?”
I am encouraged that the students were very interested in discussing how the spiritual, emotional and physical aspects of health and wellness are intertwined. They appreciated the opportunity to take the Spiritual Fitness Assessment that I’ve developed and talk about the relevance of the various Spiritual Exercises in their personal lives. As a followup discussion to that, we spent most of the second class discussing how the application of other Christian principles might affect their emotional and physical health. We used the poster presentation I made at this year’s annual meeting of the Society of Spirituality, Theology and Health as a springboard for this discussion. They had a difficult time selecting the 10 most relevant principles of the 41 I identified in my presentation. It made for a lively and worthwhile discussion!
As I think about my time with these young adults, I am encouraged that they had some time dedicated to reflect on and discuss the interrelated nature of our spirit, soul and body and the relevance to their personal lives. I’m also thankful that the professor and the school leadership made a decision to dedicate some time for this topic.
The discussions I was able to have with Terry before and after the classes were also insightful and helpful to me as, among other things, we talked about ways that I might go deeper with the insight that God has given me in the area of spiritual fitness.
Oct
10
2009
Join us at this link from 9:00 – 10:00 AM EDT
This will be an informal discussion on the topic of spirituality and health from a Christian faith perspective.
I’ll be using a microphone (VOIP) and Web Cam. No need for you to have a camera… just turn on your mic and speakers.
When you arrive at the linked page, just enter your name and perhaps where you are from.
If you were not able to join us for this discussion, keep checking in for future opportunities. The best way to be notified is to sing up to receive my blog posts.
Oct
07
2009
Looking for Strength from God?
When we have strength we can make it through tough times. This strength enables us to live a healthy lifestyle and to manage the stress that is present. Are you looking for insight about how God can be a source of strength? Today my devotionals led me back to two passages in Ephesians where Paul shares his understanding of how God supplies us strength. I’ll do my best to pass his wisdom along to you here.
What the Bible Says about Strength and Power
Ephesians 1:15-21 is a prayer of Paul to the people of the church of Ephesus. He is especially praying that they be unified in their new faith so that they can be the body of Christ that God intended them to be. This prayer still applies to us today… and it is my prayer for you. I pray that you may know God better and that your understanding of him be deep in your heart. This deep understanding of who God is and of the love he has for you should be a source of hope – the kind of hope that can only come from God. Accompanying this deep understanding of God and belief in his character and nature should be great power. Paul tells us in verse 19 that this power is like the working of his mighty strength – the same strength that God used to raise Jesus from his grave. This same power, and strength, is available to you if you believe.
Further in this same book, in Ephesians 3:16-21, Paul again writes to these people in a prayer. We are also told that we can have this great power because God’s Holy Spirit lives in us who believe in Jesus. When you are deeply rooted in God’s love you are able to grasp how much Jesus loves you and cares for you. This is hugely important because as you embrace this love, you begin to realize the fullness and power of God. God’s Holy Spirit, who lives in you, gives your mind this ability. It’s not your power, but God’s power that is manifested in you and at work in you. (Ephesians 3:20)
Another important determinant of receiving God’s strength is our weakness. We are told that Jesus’ strength was made perfect in Paul’s weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Paul came to recognize that it was his personal weakness and associated dependence on God that was key to him having power that came from God. So, it is in admitting our weakness that we affirm God’s strength.
Receiving God’s Strength
So, according to these scriptures, how do you receive strength that is available from God?
- You believe in his Son, Jesus.
- You begin to understand just how much God loves you and you receive this wonderful love.
- You humbly acknowledge that you are weak and dependent on God.
- You know that his Holy Spirit lives in you.
- You believe that God’s power raised Jesus from his grave.
- And, you believe that God wants to use this same mighty power for good in your life.
This is how you have strength – strength that comes directly from God. It’s about your faith, belief and trust – the essence of the Christian faith.
You were created by God as his masterpiece to do wonderful things through the salvation you receive by believing in Jesus. Ephesians 2:10 When you receive strength from God, through his mighty power that is available, you can make it through the challenges that life throws at you. When this happens, God is glorified. Ephesians 3:21
Questions to Reflect On
Do you have a personal relationship with God and his Son, Jesus? If not, read about Jesus and how much God loves you.
Are you humble enough to acknowledge that you are weak and depend on God? If not, read more about this here.
Do you believe God’s power raised Jesus from the grave? If not, read about it here.
Do you believe God’s Spirit lives in you? If you’re not sure about this, read about the Holy Spirit here.
More Resources on Strength and Power
More blog posts about strength and power
Scriptures related to stress and strength
30 Affirmations of Encouragement using scripture
Oct
05
2009
Read these positive affirmations I’ve tweeted using Twitter during the last month. Follow me on Twitter to receive them.
Read my blog post on how to use Bible scriptures to make affirmations in your own life.
Scripture Affirmations
“God’s truth – his Word – stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8
“God gives me power when I am worn out and strength when I am weak.” Isaiah 40:29
“God’s principles are perfect. They are entirely worthy of my trust.” Psalm 119:138
“With God in my life, all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
“Jesus keeps pruning me so that I will be even more productive for God.” John 15:2
“The water Jesus gives takes away my thirst altogether.” John 4:14
“I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God.” Psalm 139:14
“I follow God’s principles because I love him.” John 14:15
“I can never be separated from the love of God.” Romans 8:35-39
“God’s love is made complete in me when I obey his principles.” 1 John 2:5
“As I draw near to God, he draws near to me.” James 4:8
“God’s discipline is always good for me because it means I share in His holiness.” Hebrews 12:10
“I display a new nature because I am a new person, created in God’s likeness – holy and true.” Ephesians 4:24
“The secret is that Christ lives in me and I have assurance of sharing his glory.” Colossians 1:27
“Nothing can separate me from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:39
“God satisfies me when I am thirsty and fills me with good things when I am hungry.” Psalm 107:9
“I keep God’s words in my heart. They are health to my whole body.” Proverbs 4:20-22
“It is God’s Spirit that gives me eternal life. My human effort accomplishes nothing.” John 6:63
“God is for me so no one can ever be against me.” Romans 8:31
“In God I live and move and exist.” Acts 17:28
“I defeat this evil world by trusting Christ to give me victory.” 1 Peter 5:5
“By God’s grace and through faith in Jesus, I have a full and eternal life.” Ephesians 2:8
“Through prayer, the peace of God guards my heart & mind.” Philippians 4:7
“By God’s grace and through faith in Jesus, I have a full and eternal life.” Ephesians 2:8
“I find strength in the Lord my God.” 1 Samuel 30:6
“God strengthens me because my heart is fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
“I have rest in my soul because I go to Jesus when I am weary.” Matthew 11:28-29
“Because I have been born again, I will see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3
“I do not fear because God strengthens me.” Isaiah 41:10
“I am full with the joy of the Lord.” Isaiah 42:10
Read more positive affirmations using Bible scriptures.
Read more about positive affirmations based on scripture regarding health and strength.
Oct
02
2009
I am providing one hour of complimentary faith-based wellness coaching. If you’re interested in taking advantage of this service, please contact me within 24 hours. I’ll select someone at random.
Read about my wellness coaching services.
How to contact me and qualify:
- Through the contact page
- By commenting here
- Via email – dale ( at ) faithandhealthconection dot org
- Via Twitter – @faithandhealth
- By replying to this post you received via email
Have a terrific Friday and weekend!
