An article published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine reports that chocolate and depression go hand in hand. According to a study, people who feel depressed eat about 55 % more chocolate than their non-depressed peers. The more depressed they feel, the more chocolate they tend to eat.
Many people I know turn to sweets and other foods when they are emotionally depressed. When I get blue, I occasionally tend not to eat.
A better way to handle a depressed state of mind and other strong negative emotions is to turn to God. The writer of a popular Psalm recognized this years ago.
“You satisfy me more than the richest of foods.” Psalm 63:5
God wants us to ask him to meet all of our deep inner needs. If you have a habit of turning to chocolate or other foods when life is tough, try to begin turning to God in prayer and asking him to meet that deep emotional need. Take more time to sit quietly with him and share your deepest burdens with him. Cry out to him. He promises to satisfy those inner needs more than any food ever will.
I have been reading a book that has just been published titled Psychology in the Spirit, by Todd Hall and John Coe. I learned of it through Intervarsity Press for whom I am reviewing books on occasion.
In one of the chapters, Coe addresses what he understands to be the core truths of the Christian faith and how it ought to guide Christian psychologists. His views sure seem to be right in line with what the teachings of the Bible boil down to in regards to our life purpose. Here’s a summary.
God exists and we are made in his image, (Genesis 1:26; 2:18) and are fundamentally, relational beings. We are created to be in relationship with God and other people. In that light, we’re to love God with all our might and to love others. (Mark 12:30-31 and 1 Corinthians 15:28)
We are all sinners, and by the grace of G0d, are saved by what Jesus did on the cross. (Romans 5:6-10) Because of this we are a new creation in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
We are also to become like Christ to the degree we can before our life on earth is ended. (Romans 8:29)
It’s only by the power and guiding of the Holy Spirit within us that we can love God and others and be more Christ-like as God desires to fill us with the fullness of his presence. (1 John 3:2-3 and Ephesians 3:17; 5:18)
And these key aspects of living are to be done in such a way that God is glorified. (1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Peter 4:11)
If we can keep this in mind day to day and be guided by regularly reading the Bible and meditating on the truths found there, we will be much more apt be to living out God’s will for our life – our purpose in life.
My prayer for you is that you be drawn closer to God through Jesus by the power and under the direction of the Holy Spirit. In this, may you clearly understand his life purpose and be able to live it. To God be the glory. Amen!
An affirmation for today – “If I don’t stand firmly in my faith, I won’t stand at all.” Isaiah 7:9
These are the affirmations I’ve tweeted on Twitter since January 25th. If you’re using Twitter and would like to receive them daily, follow @FaithandHealth on Twitter.
Have you ever wondered whether God has gifted you to be a Christian Life Coach? Well, I’m partnering with Christian Coach Institute as they are beginning to educate, equip and encourage Christians who desire to be life coaches.
Life Coach courses are conducted by Christian Coach Institute about every two months. CCI also periodically conducts free Christian Life Coach Training Introductory Webinars. These live webinars explain the entire concept of the life coaching courses and Christian life coaching. Register to attend their next webinar on the home page of Christian Coach Institute.
Faith and Health Coaching
In the near future, our two organizations will be working together to roll out a coaching program to train Faith and Health Coaches. Stay tuned for more information.
Mary Chind of The Des Moines Register was recently awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her photograph above of the heart-stopping moment when a rescuer dangling in a makeshift harness tries to save a woman trapped in the foaming water beneath a dam. The woman, Patricia Ralph-Neely, was saved by a construction worker after her boat went over the Center Street Dam. Her husband, Alan Neely, didn’t make it. He and his wife were in the boat, scouting out a perch on the riverfront for their grand kids to watch the holiday fireworks show. Read more about this incident here.
Chind’s reporting and photography represents the immediacy and urgency of this dramatic rescue.
When I saw this picture for the first time yesterday, my initial thought was that the man’s arm stretching out to rescue the woman is representative of how God reaches out to help us in times of trouble. As well, God patiently reaches out to us to restore us into relationship with himself, despite our faults and shortcomings.
Sometimes we feel like we are drowning in the circumstances that life throws at us because life can be tough. And during those really tough times, it can really be a “Godsend” if someone will reach out to help us. If we listen close enough, we’ll realize that God is reaching out to lend a helping hand.
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Revelation 3:20
Questions to Reflect On:
Does the photo above, and the idea that God is reaching out to you, strike a chord within you? If so, will you grab his hand?
“Eating can be triggered by a multitude of factors other than hunger. If you were to analyze the intricate chemistry of the human body, it is apparent how stressful situations set off a cascade of hormones that can result in an unexpected calorie binge. Problems arise when we consistently give in to this hormonal calling and begin to depend on food as our escape from the tension of life.”
The above paragraph is taken from an excellent article written by Corey Little about emotional and stress eating that appears in Faith and Fitness Magazine.
If you’re challenged by eating unhealthy food and too much food when you’re stressed you may find this article has some good insight and tips. With that in mind, I’m passing it along.
“You (God) satisfy me more than the richest of foods.” Psalm 63:5
You and I can experience true and long-lasting joy and an eternally full life because of Jesus’ suffering and death. Jesus tells us the type of joy and blessings we can experience in His Sermon on the Mount.
The above paragraph is an introduction to a post I made on this topic last year during Holy Week. In lieu of writing a new post, I thought it would be wise to point you to last year’s entry on this topic.
Have a wonderful day and be reminded that the One who loves you more than any person died so that you can experience joy and life – to the fullest and eternally.
I want to pass along a link that I also made available here a year ago at this time.
These are the affirmations I’ve tweeted on Twitter since January 25th. If you’re using Twitter and would like to receive them daily, 
“Eating can be triggered by a multitude of factors other than hunger. If you were to analyze the intricate chemistry of the human body, it is apparent how stressful situations set off a cascade of hormones that can result in an unexpected calorie binge. Problems arise when we consistently give in to this hormonal calling and begin to depend on food as our escape from the tension of life.”
God loves you so much that His son, Jesus, died so you can be whole and have life now and eternally.
You and I can experience true and long-lasting joy and an eternally full life because of Jesus’ suffering and death. Jesus tells us the type of joy and blessings we can experience in 
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