Jan
27
2010
Today’s Wall Street Journal carries an article titled “Thinking Happy Thoughts at Work.” The author’s corresponding blog post uses the following title – “Workplace Blues? Call a Happiness Coach.”
“How would you feel if your employer brought in a happiness coach — a trainer or speaker urging you to practice new behaviors, cheer up and stop stressing out?” That’s how Sue Shellenberger’s blog post begins. She writes that trainers and coaches are “drawing on psychological research and ancient religious traditions to teach inner peace, gratitude, kindness and resiliency in the face of adversity” that is so prevalent at the workplace in today’s tough economic times. Shellenberger writes that coaches are placing an emphasis on the inner happiness of their clients and how they can control their own mood amidst turbulence or misfortune. Some techniques mentioned are writing emails to friends thanking them for something they’ve done, meditating daily to clear your mind, doing something for someone without expecting anything in return and focusing on the process of work rather than the outcome which you can’t control.
It’s true that we all can benefit from applying techniques and activities that will bring us peace, kindness and strength during tough times. Fortunately, God provides us many principles for this in the Bible. Let’s take a look.
What the Bible Says About Happiness and Joy
“Oh, the joys of those who …. delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Psalm 1:1-2
“O LORD Almighty, happy are those who trust in you.” Psalm 84:12
“Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.” Psalm 89:15
“Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.” Psalm 119:1-2
“As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.” Psalm 119:143
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.” Philippians 4:6-7
“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise….. then the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9
What You Can Do
Deep inner happiness or joy is what people are looking for. That need is greater than short term happiness which is typically dependent on our circumstances. So how do you come to a place of joy? Our creator, God, inspired the authors of the Bible to tell us that this kind of deep happiness comes from placing your trust in God and by following his principles or commandments.
Trust and faith in God require a decision deep in your will. It requires you to believe deep in your heart that God is who the Bible tells us he is…. a loving, forgiving, all-knowing, powerful and holy God. When you believe this, it enables you to place your trust in him and to follow his ways.
You can’t know his ways unless you learn them and the best source of this knowledge is the Holy Bible. The more you read it, the more you can come to an understanding of who God is and what his principles for living are.
The challenge then is to live in accordance to these principles. We might call this obedience. The Bible tells us that if we truly love God we will obey him. (1 John 1:5) Having a deep love for God and spending time alone with him will enable you to obey him more easily. The scriptures above remind us that it’s through following his principles that we receive deep happiness or joy.
Thinking “healthy” thoughts is also key to maintaining a good attitude and achieving an on-going level of peace. As you renew your mind by thinking more about God and His nature and truth and less about untruths and negative thoughts it will likely improve your day-to-day attitude and corresponding emotions, as well as your disposition on life. This ought to contribute to a sense of peace and may well impact in a positive way on your emotional and physical health.
So, receive God’s love deep in your heart, get to know him better, place your trust in him, pray to him, think about “things of heaven,” thank God and follow his principles found in the Bible. That’s the pathway to deep joy and inner peace.
I don’t know about you, but God is my Happiness Coach.
Have a terrific day!
Questions About Happiness and Joy to Reflect On
How are you handling the pressures at work or in your home?
Who is your Happiness Coach?
What books or materials are you reading as a source of truth on how to have joy and peace?
Resources Related to Joy and Peace
Article – His Instruction Manual – Our Guidebook for Living
Article – Think Spiritual Thoughts. Renew Your Mind.
Article – Loving God
Blog Posts About Joy
Blog Post – Joy, Well-Being and Health
meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
Jan
25
2010
These are the positive affirmations I’ve tweeted on Twitter during the last two months. If you’re using Twitter and would like to receive them daily, follow me on Twitter.
Here’s a blog post on how to use Bible scriptures to make affirmations in your own life.
These affirmations are truth for those who believe in the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross. As you read these, I urge you to speak them as truth in your own life.
God stands at my side and gives me the strength I need for today. 2 Timothy 4:17
As I cleanse myself of the wood and clay in my life, I am better able to be used by God. 2 Timothy 2:20-21
Scriptures in the Bible teach me 2 do what is right and equip me for every good thing God wants me 2 do. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
God reveals his spiritual truths to me by his Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:13
Christ has set me free to experience true freedom. Galatians 5:1
Read more of this article »
Jan
25
2010
The grace of God gives us strength and the corresponding ability to do the things we otherwise could not do. This happens as a result of being in an intimate relationship with God, through his Son Jesus and experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit. The more intimate we are with God, the more time we spend quietly with him, and the more we yield to him and depend upon him the more empowered we become.
Power from God does not come by way of religious-type activity and service. It comes as a direct result of abiding in God’s presence and being connected to him in a very real and meaningful way. Jesus tell us this when he says -
“Remain in me and I will remain in you…. apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5
Jesus gives us a great example of how he received power from his Father, God. Shortly before his death on the cross, Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was sorrowful and full of grief-filled emotions as he prepared to do the will of God by dying on the cross for our sins. The “man” in him did not want to die. What did he do? Jesus went away to be alone with God…. to be in earnest prayer with him one-on-one. When he finished his prayer time with God, Jesus was prepared, equipped with the strength he needed to be able to die for you and me. Matthew 26:36-46
The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus prayed to his Father that just as he and God were one, that we all would “be in them.” John 17:20-21 This serves as a reminder that God desires us to remain as close as possible to him. He knows that for us to be able to do his perfect will, we need to maintain an intimate relationship with him.
‘Abide in God’s Presence’ is one Spiritual Exercise that is conducive to a healthy life. The more we are in God’s presence, the more power the Holy Spirit gives us to make healthy choices and to change our behavior. We are able to do things that we otherwise might not be able to do.
Questions to Reflect On:
How close to Jesus are you?
How much time do you spend in prayer with God on a daily basis?
How much time each week do you spend reading the Bible and meditating on what you’ve read?
Scriptures Related to Intimacy:
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” Psalm 23:1-3
Helpful Resources
Article – It’s About the Relationship
Blog Posts About Strength
Booklet – Experiencing Intimacy With God, RBC Publications
Website Page – Spiritual Exercises for a Healthier Life
Jan
19
2010
When I was enrolled in my master’s degree program at Indiana University, one of my favorite courses was the The Growth and Human Development of Children. David Gallahue, PhD, was the professor. He went on to be the Dean of the Physical Education department. Gallahue shared with us that to learn a new sport or skill, three essentials were involved – effective instruction, lots of practice and plenty of encouragement and support.
This important concept can also be transferred into learning any new skill and changing health behavior. As many of you are attempting to change a behavior or learn a new skill, I’d urge you to consider the application of this tip to your situation.
Here’s an example. I’m helping lead a weight loss program at our church beginning this week. We’re using a book by Kara Davis, M.D.. I made a blog entry about her book – Spiritual Secrets to Weight Loss – a few months ago. Right off the bat, Davis writes in her introduction the importance and value of having an accountability partner for people who are entering a behavior change program. She urges us to find a person who will encourage, inspire and motivate us as well as speak a word of correction if necessary.
When wellness coaching clients partner with me, one of the key things they recognize they need most of all is encouragement and accountability from another person.
God clearly encourages us in scripture to rely on others for this type of support. Whether it’s an attempt at losing weight, stopping smoking or changing some other behavior, consider asking someone to stand along side of you as you take that journey!
Questions to Consider:
Are you attempting to make behavior changes on your own, without the encouragement and support of another person? If so, who might you ask to support you along the way?
Scriptures Related to Accountability, Support & Encouragement:
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
Related Resources:
Article – Life, Spirituality and Your Health – It’s About the Relationship
Wellness Coaching
Jan
15
2010
Applications for smart phones are all the rage. It’s amazing the number of new applications that continue to be created for phones like the iPhone. According to a recent advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, there are ‘over 100,000 applications for just about anything.’
Smart Phone Applications
Over the Christmas holiday, both of my young adult sons visited me and I enjoyed getting up to speed on how they were using the various applications on their phones. I suggested to my older son that he search and see if a dictation application was available for his iPhone and sure enough he found Dragon Dictation which is made by the same company of the software I occasionally use to capture my thoughts and blog posts and articles such as I am doing now. He has since found the use of that application very practical and convenient.
The advertisement in the Wall Street Journal that I’ve seen on a few occasions reads — “New year. New resolutions. New apps.” As I thought about this advertisement I tried to think of a parallel comparison that I could make for a blog entry. What quickly came to my mind was the fact that God has given us a guidebook with literally hundreds of thousands of principles that he would want us to apply to our lives, in the form of “applications.” With that in mind I thought this might be a helpful reminder for you to consider what biblical ‘applications’ you might want to re-address during this new year.
Over the course of the last several months I have frequently referred to a poster presentation that I made last June at the annual meeting of the Society for Spirituality, Theology and Health at Duke University. For that presentation, I identified 41 Christian principles that I believe are health promoting. I thought it might be helpful to again refer to that document and encourage each of you to review those principles and see if you might identify some aspects of your faith that you might benefit from addressing in a more intentional way.
Biblical Principles
Just as the various applications on your mobile phone might assist you in aspects of your day-to-day life, many very important principles of the Christian faith have been provided us by God so that we might be able to live a full and rewarding life. Consider these few examples:
- Believe the Bible is truth.
- Receive God’s love.
- Believe in God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
- Believe the Holy Spirit lives in you and empowers you.
- Remain connected to Jesus.
- Spend time in God’s presence.
- Do not worry or be anxious.
- Forgive.
- Renew your mind with God’s truths.
- Humble yourself before God.
The listing above is just a partial list of many key principles that God has provided us in the Bible to direct us in how we’re to live our lives.
It’s a new year. I suspect many of you now are a little more serious and have a deeper resolve to live life in alignment with values they are very important to you. As many of you may have recently downloaded new applications for your mobile phones, I encourage you also to spend a little more time reading God’s guidebook for living, the Bible, so that your resolve to apply his many principles for living a more abundant life in 2010 might be strengthened.
Questions to Consider:
What faith-related principles do you resolve to continue to practice in your day-to-day living?
Are there any biblical principles that you’ve not attended to over the last few years that you want to incorporate into your life?
Related Scriptures:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23-24
Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind. Psalm 26:2
Related Resources:
Article – His Instruction Manual: Our Guidebook for Living
Poster Presentation – The Spirituality – Health Connection: Why It Exists addressing 41 health-promoting principles of the Christian faith and 194 scripture references.
Jan
13
2010
Why do I exercise?
It makes me feel better.
It helps me manage my stress.
It helps me control my weight.
I like the way I feel after I shower and dress.
It helps me think more clearly.
It energizes me.
It helps me take better care of my body, God’s temple. (1 Corinthians 6:19)
It keeps me fit so I can do other things that require a degree of fitness.
I enjoy being outside when I run.
Perhaps you have made a resolution to become more fit or to be more consistent with exercise. Over the years as I’ve worked with many, many other people to help them with their physical activity regimen, I’ve seen that the more important the benefits they received from exercising the more likely they were to keep at it.
As you head into 2010, and if being physically active is important to you, I’d urge you to take a few minutes and make a list of the reasons why you’d like to be more physically active and more fit. Put on this list the reasons that are very personal to you as I have done above. Then you might consider checking off the top three reasons why you’d like to be more consistent with physical activity and focus on these most significant benefits. It may also be helpful to review the level of importance that these benefits are her to you. The more important they are to you and the greater value you place on them, the more likely they will truly be a motivation for you to exercise.
Now, get in that workout ……….. and make it a great day!
Jan
11
2010
Happy New Year!
I hope that 20 10 is off to a good start for you. I have a few things I wanted to share.
First, a few months ago I was interviewed by John Shorb, editor of HopeandHealing.org. John focused on my use of scripture as it relates to health and wellness. The interview is now up on that site and I thought that many of you might enjoy reading it so I’ve included the link. These are a few of the questions I answer:
- How did you first become interested in faith and health?
- How do you see faith as a motivator for exercise?
- What is an example of a spiritual exercise?
- What role does Jesus play in knowing God for you?
Secondly, as the weeks unfold, I’m excited to share with you the insights God has been giving me during my quiet time with him. Among other topics, I have plans to write more in depth about the key biblical principles and “spiritual exercises” of the Christian faith that are instrumental in helping one be whole and live life well.
Stay tuned…. and have a terrific day!
