Aug
29
2011
Mondays give us an opportunity to start another calendar week on the right foot. You’ve probably heard the saying, “I got out of the wrong side of the bed,” when things don’t go well for a person on a given day. Well, today each of us has a chance to frame the kind of day, even week, that we are going to have. And, this occurs mostly in our minds.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2
The degree to which we are able to make changes in our life will be determined by the attitudes that we have. In the above scripture, Paul is telling us that if we change how we look at things in our mind and if we change our thought patterns, then we can change our lives. Not only change our lives – we can transform our lives.
Today, I encourage you to be intentional about choosing the mindset that you have throughout the day. Make a choice deep in your will that you are going to monitor your thought patterns throughout this week. What kind of thoughts are best? In his letter to the Colossians, Paul instructs us as to what our minds should be focused on. We’re to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2) When we focus our thoughts on God’s truth found in the Bible we are much better off than when we set our minds on our life’s challenges and the things of this world.
So, before the day goes any further, check your overall mindset and thinking. Say a short prayer asking God to help keep your mind on his truths and things that are pure and loving and kind. ( Philippians 4:8) Make a commitment to monitor your thinking patterns for the entire week. See if this makes a difference in how your week goes.
An Idea: Write yourself a reminder on a 3×5 card or small piece of paper and put it in a visible place – “Monitor my thought pattern.”
Have a great week… not just for yourself, but for the glory of God. Remember, when your light is shining brightly, it’s a reflection of Christ in you that others are seeing, and this brings glory to our Heavenly Father.
Resources on Your Thinking and Mindset:
Affirmations – Receive Affirmations Using Scripture on Facebook and Twitter
Article – Think Spiritual Thoughts/Renew Your Mind
Article – Are Your Thoughts Making You Unhealthy?
Other Blog Posts About Thinking
Aug
19
2011
Here’s another post with insight and thoughts captured from my reading of Health Care You Can Live With by Dr. Scott Morris, founder of the Church Health Centerin Memphis, Tennessee. The excerpts below are directly from the referenced chapters.
Excerpts From Chapters 15 and 16
Compassion is an intense desire to embrace people in a way that is not the norm in our world today. Through this embracing, we show what the Kingdom of God is all about. When compassion happens, everyone included, whether on the giving or receiving end, is better because of it.
God made room for you. In sending Jesus into the body-and-spirit humanity, God reached out to be connected to you. In compassionate mercy, you were made part of God’s family.
As you continue to discover what wellness means in your own life, ask how you can put on compassion toward others and yourself.
Look at yourself through the same eyes of welcoming love through which God sees you. See the wholeness God wants for you, body and spirit. If God wants it for you, shouldn’t you want it for yourself?
Small habits bring big changes when it comes to health. Read more of this article »
Aug
04
2011
An article in today’s Wall Street Journal – Antidepressant Use Rises – reports that the use of antidepressants is significantly on the rise. The article cites a study published in the journal of Health Affairs, authored by Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University.
Antidepressants were the second most widely prescribed class of medicine in the United States in 2010, after cholesterol-lowering statins, according to IMS health. “Over 10 percent of people over the age of 6 were receiving anti-depression medication. That strikes me as significant,” says Dr. Olfson. It appears that physicians may be prescribing antidepressants for more mild forms of mood and anxiety disorders, or for isolated psychiatric symptoms like sleep disturbance, nervousness or nonspecific pain, Doctor Olfson said.
In a similar vein, an article on the Psychology Today website reports that antidepressants are oversubscribed. Christopher Lane, Ph.D, indicates that in a reported study more than 70% of patients in the survey who were prescribed antidepressants presented no medical need for antidepressant treatment.
It sure seems that the trend is for people to turn to pills instead of God to relieve the results of the stress that they are experiencing in their lives associated with life events. On the one hand it sure seems like a simple and quick fix to go to your doctor’s office or to your counselor and ask for and receive a prescription for an antidepressant drug. Just pop one in your mouth every day and you’ll feel better. This is not God’s way of handling stress.
There are several scriptures in the Bible that remind us of God’s principles for how to handle the stressors that life brings us. Here are a few:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. Psalm 34:8–10
LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. Psalm 84:12
The scriptures remind us to place our trust in God and to turn our anxieties and fears over Him. This is the way he designed us to live. Trust in God is just one of many spiritual exercises I’ve identified that are important for living an abundant and healthier life. It is certainly a more effective way to cope with the ups and downs life brings us than taking antidepressant medications.
Questions to Reflect On:
How are you handling the stressors of your life? Are you turning to pills or to God?
Resources Related to Stress and Trust:
Scripture Listings for Stress, Faith and Health
Webpage – Spiritual Exercises for a Healthier Life
Aug
01
2011
My wife recently gave me an iPad as a gift. (Thank you again Janice!) I’ve been using it pretty much every day and found that it’s been enjoyable to use and it also increase my productivity.
About two times each week I find that I need to sync the iPad with my Macbook Pro laptop so that my calendars, contacts and downloaded applications are in sync with each other. Being consistent with this process of syncing my iPhone with my laptop is pretty important or otherwise the right information will not be in both devices.
In the same vein, it’s important that we be in sync with God on a regular basis. Going to church one day a week will not keep us in sync. The best way to do this is by spending time with him daily and especially by reading the Bible. It’s the Bible that helps us understand who God is and what his Son has done for us. We get to know God best by reading about him and spending time reflecting or meditating on the scriptures.
One of the Spiritual Exercises that I have identified for living and abundant life is Abide in Jesus. Jesus tells us in John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
When I abide in Jesus by reading his Word and by praying and meditating on the scripture found in his Word it helps me to stay in step with him… in sync with him, if you will.
When I am in sync with God, life goes better for me… and I imagine life goes better with you too.
Questions to Reflect and Comment On:
How do you stay in sync with God? How frequently do you engage in this behavior?
Related Resources:
Article – An Introduction to Spiritual Exercises
Blog Post – Walking with God, Running with Nikes
Blog Post – Spiritual Exercises and Physical Activity Principles
Let’s Connect!