Archive for the 'Bible and Health' Category

In Times of Stress Like This

stress and money2USA Today reported on the physical consequences related to the stress people are under, especially over this last week. An article on September 19th - today as I write this - titled “Money Woes, Other Stresses Bring Unwanted Physical Response” says “As the market melts down, hurricanes wreak havoc, war grinds on and feelings of helplessness set in, stress goes up.” ComPsych, an employee assistance and wellness provider, has seen a 10% to 15% spike in calls since the weekend according to their vice president of health and wellness.

“The connection between mind/body is seamless,” says Linda Rosenberg, CEO of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. “There isn’t a separate brain and a separate body. What you’re thinking about has an effect on your physical well-being. General good health means good mental health.”

So what’s a Christian to do during times like this? We take care of ourselves in a variety of ways: Get plenty of sleep, eat well, engage in regular physical activity, review our investment portfolios, manage our time effectively and we care for our heart in a spiritual way. We do the very best we can to give our cares and worries to Jesus. We pray for ourself and our leaders. We put our trust in Him. (Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 26: 3-4)) We spend more time with Him. We ask God for wisdom. (James 1:5-6) We remember that it’s in our trials that our faith has an opportunity to grow… we get opportunities to exercise our faith muscles at times like this.

And we invite Jesus to be our personal trainer.

See a listing of scriptures for faith in times of stress on my website.

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“Spiritual & Physical Health and the Need for a Doctor” Matthew 9:12 - Weekly Faith & Health Scripture

The Great Physician“Healthy people don’t need a doctor, sick people do.”  (Matthew 9:12) The Great Physician, Jesus, told people that it was those who were sick and needed to be made well that needed the help of a doctor, not those who were already well.  In that scenario the Pharisees had asked Him why He was eating with scum or sinners.  Jesus was talking about those who were sinners and especially in need of becoming spiritually well.  .

Today, research is clearly showing that there’s often, but not always, a relationship between certain physical conditions and diseases and one’s spiritual health.  Consider some of these conditions and diseases: addictions, allergies, arthritis, asthma, bulimia, chronic back pain, cold sores, coronary artery disease, Crohn’s disease, depression, dermatitis, diarrhea, eating disorders, fibromyalgia, headaches, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, impotency, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, obesity, panic attacks, post traumatic stress syndrome, reflux, rosacea and ulcers.

If you suffer from one of these conditions or you know someone that does, it’s quite possible that an aspect of your or their spiritual health may not be well and that over time the spiritual condition has affected the body with one of these conditions.  Specifically consider the degree to which your relationship with God, with other people and with yourself is well.  Reflect on whether or not there is any inner conflict at all in regards to your relationship with yourself, others or God.  Are you sick or do you need to be made well from one of these conditions I’ve listed or perhaps another condition that has as its root some inner conflict with yourself with God or with another person?  Is there an existing open wound, hurt, unforgiveness, resentment, guilt, shame or any other strong negative emotion related to any of your relationships? If so, then you could benefit from a touch by the Great Physician.

God’s greatest commandment for us is that we should love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and that we should love other people as we love ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-39)  Since this is the principle that He wants us to follow more than any other, it certainly makes sense that if we are not right with this commandment that we might have trouble in our lives.  For many of us, a long-term conflict or issue with an aspect of our relationships may be manifesting itself with a physical condition.  You see, our bodily health is often like a barometer of the health of our soul.  If conditions deep down inside of us are not right, over time the mind, body and spirit can interact with one another and often cause physical health problems and conditions.

Are you sick and in need of a doctor?  If so, turn to Jesus.

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The Scriptures, Jesus and Stress - Matthew 11:28-30

BibleOver the last four months more people have landed on my website and blog looking for Scriptures related to stress than for any other reason. In that light I thought it would be helpful to make another entry on this topic.

In January of this year I made an entry about Jesus on stress management. This Weekly Faith and Health scripture post was from Matthew 11:28 - 30. “Then Jesus said, 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, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I gave you is light.”

It’s not surprising that so many people are searching for scriptures on stress. Lots of people are struggling with their home loans and many are experiencing foreclosure. The higher oil prices have raised the cost of gasoline. The economy is on shaky grounds. We are two months away from another presidential election and many people are concerned about making the right choice in November. These are just a few reasons why I am certain that many people are stressed.

As Jesus has told us in this scripture in Matthew, more than anything when we are stressed I believe that he wants us to turn to Him. Spending regular time with Him in prayer and through reading the Bible is one of the best ways I have found to “turn to Jesus.” The more I do this I am less stressed. I hope that you will take this scripture to heart and turn to Jesus during times of your stress.

See this page for more scriptures on stress and receiving strength from God.

Have a great day!

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Faith & Health Scripture: Joy, Wellbeing & Health - Psalm 119:2

JoyfulReuters Health released an article on September 1, 2008, “Lack of Joy in Life Ups Early Death Risk,” about a research study conducted in Japan. It found that people who don’t think life is worth living are more likely to die within the next few years. The increased death risk was mainly due to cardiovascular disease and external causes — most commonly, suicide. The research is the largest to date to investigate how “ikigai,” or “joy and a sense of well-being from being alive,” affects mortality risk, and only the second to examine death from specific causes, according to Dr. Toshimasa Sone and colleagues from the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine in Sendai.

In this study, the investigators looked at 43,391 men and women between the ages of 40 and 79. Each person was asked the question, “Do you have “ikigai” in your life?” The researchers found that those who did not have a sense of a “ikigai” were in worse health, more mentally stressed, and in more bodily pain. They were also more likely to have limited physical function. Overall, people with no sense of “ikigai” were 50% more likely to die from any cause during the follow-up period compared to those who did have a sense of life worth living.

The Bible speaks to the topic of joy and a life worth living in Psalm 119. Let’s look at the following five scriptures:

Psalm 119:1 Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.

Psalm 119:2 - Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.

Psalm 119:74 - May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word.

Psalm 119:92 - If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery.

Psalm 119:143 - As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.

Similar to the blog post on happiness that I made on Saturday, living a life that is in line with God’s principles that are written about in the Bible can not only bring a life of happiness but of joy and a sense that life is worth living. As the researchers in this Japanese study have discovered, those with a deep sense of joy and a sense that life is worth living do have better health outcomes than those who do not have that sense of deep joy in their hearts. That’s how God designed us. And that’s why God inspired the writers of the Bible to give us the truth that can be found there. As I urged readers of my blog on Saturday, I will urge you again to read through Psalm 119 so that you can understand the value of living according to God’s principles.

Do you have deep inner joy and a sense that life is worth living? I hope so. If not, I pray that by reading Psalm 119 and spending more time reading about the truths of God and through developing a personal relationship with Jesus you’ll be enable to find true and lasting joy and a sense of meaning of life.

Have a terrific day!

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Research on Happiness, Life Satisfation and Health - Psalm 119:2, 35, & 56

Today an article was released by Health Behavior News Service suggesting that happiness and life satisfaction might lead to better health. They refer to a study that was based upon research in Australia conducted in 2001 and 2004. The researchers looked at 10,000 adults who responded to items about health indicators in the presence of long term limited health conditions and physical health. They found that both happiness and life satisfaction might lead to better future health.

Take Care of Your BodySo the question is, how do we become happier and more satisfied with our life? The answer can be found in scripture. Psalm 119:2 says “Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts. Verse 35 reads “Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. Finally, verse 56 reads “This is my happy way of life: obeying your commandments.”

These are only three versus of this very revealing chapter in the book of Psalm. I would urge you to take time to read the entire chapter of Psalm 119 so you can gain a full appreciation of the value of God’s principles and commandments. He gave us His truths in the Bible so that we could live a more full and happy life. I am convinced that the happier we are with our life and the more satisfied we are with our life that the better our emotional health will be. This improved level of emotional health will then lead to improved physical health.

Warren Wiersbe writes in his book, 5 Secrets of Living, that the secret of enjoying life is fruit bearing. The secret of fruit bearing is abiding in God. The secret of abiding in God is obeying Him. The secret of obeying God is loving Him. The secret of loving is knowing God. The abundant life that Jesus refers to John 10:10 is what happiness and true joy is all about. Scripture tells us that we can receive this happiness and true story through obeying God’s commandments. So, I urge you to spend time in his Word to get to know God and to try your best to live your life in accordance with his commandments. The resulting happiness and subsequent improved health will contribute to living the abundant life that Jesus died for us.

Go have an awesome day!

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Faith and Health Scripture - Stripping Off Weight & Endurance - Hebrews 12:1-3

Women’s EightAs we enter into the last week of the 2008 Olympics I thought I’d make another post about the connection between sports, athletic performance and faith.

Hebrews 12 begins, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and protector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured on the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful man, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

This verse reminds me of my competitive distance running days. As I’ve written before on this blog, I used to be very aware of the importance of being as efficient as possible when I would run races. I can recall how I used to trim off the edges of the numbers that I had to pin on my chest. I trimmed off every bit of white paper that was not necessary so that I would be carrying around as little weight as possible during the race.

During these Olympics, I have often looked for how runners or other competitors might be doing something similar to gain as much of an edge as possible during their competitions. Last night, for example, I observed the Women’s Eight rowing competition and noticed that the coxswain in the stern of the boat was wearing a baseball cap. She was facing the direction that they were headed and it seemed to me that less drag would have occurred if she had not been wearing a baseball cap. Nonetheless, the team was able to capture a gold medal for the first time since 1964.

In Hebrews, the writer is reminding us that a lot of people are observing how we live our life. He encourages us to strip off everything that might hinder our life, especially the sin that so easily entangles us. I can only imagine how many millions of people have observed the competitors during these Olympics. It’s a good reminder of how many people are observing me and how I am living my life. This is a great time for each of us to reflect on how we are living our lives and whether or not we are being models for those who were observing us.

BibleAs I was watching the Women’s Eight competition, I noticed that the coxswain was shouting into a microphone. A device known as a cox box amplifies what is spoken into the microphone and helps her fellow rowers hear what the coxswain is saying. One way we can be encouraged to”strip off the extra weight” is to regularly read the Bible and to listen carefully to what we hear God speaking to us. Just as words of encouragement are heard by the coxswain through speakers on the boat, if we read the Bible expecting to hear from God, we’ll often be able to hear Him, even as He speaks to us in a still, small voice.

As we watch these last several days of the Olympics, let us be reminded to strip off every thing that weighs us down. Remember, just as millions of people are watching the Olympics and observing the athletes, many people are watching us.

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Weekly Faith and Health Scripture: Psalm 119:143 - Finding Delight in Times of Stress