Mar
05
2010
Spirituality and Health – A Working Model
This is a somewhat creative attempt to capture my ideas on many of the key aspects of the connection between one’s faith and their health. I used a mind mapping website to create this. It has limitations, but I’m pretty pleased with the connections it allows and the associated graphics.
Any feedback you’d like to provide would be appreciated.
What key components are missing?
Any links not made that should be?
Resources on the Spirituality and Health Link
Article – Understanding the Spirituality and Health Connection
Blog Posts – Spirituality and Health Tag
Feb
12
2010
The month of February is recognized as heart month. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14th. During this time of year, many of us are thinking about how we can demonstrate love toward a person we care about or a family member. It can also be a time to reflect on how we are caring for our own heart. It’s something God would want us to do. He tells us so the Bible.
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23
What does it mean to guard your heart and how do you do it?
We are told to exercise, eat well and manage our stress. These are all important measures to care for our physical heart as we are regularly reminded by members of the medical profession. What does our Creator tell us about caring for our heart? For that, we’ll need to look into the Bible, his guidebook for living life?
Guarding your heart means to forgive others who may have hurt you…. to let go of any anger, bitterness and resentment toward another that you may have and to release their hurtful behavior or words they may have spoken to you to God.
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13
It means being mindful of what you think about. Our minds and heart are intricately connected. What we think about affects our inner spirit and heart. The Bible tells us to think about things that are pure and right and heavenly. When we do this, it creates a healthy environment for the rest of the body. In almost magical ways, these good thoughts sink deep into our being and have an impact on our nervous system and endocrine system. The hormones that are released in our bodies when we think good thoughts are heart-healthy, as opposed to the harmful hormones that are released when we are thinking negative thoughts.
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. Philippians 4:8
Guarding our heart also means watching what we take into our minds. What we read and see over and over again will eventually make it’s way into our spiritual and emotional heart. Reading the Bible on a regular basis will help to get God’s truths into our inner being. This is healthy.
My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Proverbs 4:20-22
Decide to have a cheerful heart. By attending to your thoughts, forgiving others and daily reading the Bible and meditating on God’s truths, you can more easily have a cheerful mindset. This is health-promoting.
A cheerful heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22
I encourage you to be intentional in making these spiritual exercises part of your daily life. As they become habits, your heart will be healthier. God promises it.
Questions to Reflect On
Are you taking good care of your heart, especially your spiritual heart?
Could you benefit from incorporating one of these spiritual exercises into your life?
Resources for Guarding Your Heart
Article – Physical and Spiritual Care for Your Heart
Blog Posts Related to the Heart
Web Page – How God Designed Us: Spirit, Soul and Body
Feb
05
2010
National Wear Red Day
Heart disease is the number one killer of women and today is National Wear Red Day. This is a campaign by the American Heart Associations to build awareness of the risk of heart disease and to raise funds for research and education on behalf of women everywhere. Many women will wear red today. My wife did. I even encouraged a male client of mine to wear a red tie today.
Heart Disease Risk Factors
The risk factors for heart disease for men and women are pretty commonly understood – high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes, family history, sex, age, stress and excessive alcohol. In that light, the American Heart Association’s recommends these six lifestyle-related steps we all can take for a healthier heart:
- Avoid tobacco smoke
- Monitor high blood pressure
- Eat food low in cholesterol and saturated fats
- Be physically active
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Have regular medical exams
God and Your Heart
The above list is what the medical profession suggests we all do to attend to our “heart health.” I’d suggest that a seventh item belongs on this list - Trust, love and obey God. The heart of the matter, the truth is, that the greatest commandment that God, our Creator, has given us is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love others as yourself. ” Mark 12:28-31
When we come to the point where we love God from the bottom of our heart, it can change us completely. When we receive his love and forgiveness for all the things we’ve done wrong – all our sins – we can experience his deep love. When we trust him completely we can know real peace. When we make a choice to believe that the Holy Bible is truth and then try deep in our hearts to follow his principles for living found in the Bible, we can experience the full life that he desires for all of us to live. This includes having a healthy spiritual heart as well as a healthy physical heart.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30
I hope you’re wearing red today… but more importantly, I hope you’re deeply in love with God.
Questions to Consider
How much do you love God? Do you trust him? Are you following his commandments out of love for him?
Is your spiritual heart right with God and with others?
Could any unforgiveness, anger or bitterness be having a harmful effect on your physical heart?
Resources for Your Heart
Web Page – Bible Verses About the Heart and Health
Article – Spiritual and Physical Care for Your Heart
Article – Forgiveness: A Spiritual Exercise for a Healthier Heart
Article – Manage Your Stress with God’s Help
Website – Faith-based Toolkit for Heart Health – National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Sep
22
2009
At 5:18 PM EDT the Fall season begins here in Charlotte, NC. It’s called the autumnal or fall equinox.
What happens during the Autumnal equinox?
The sun crosses the celestial equator and moves southward in the northern hemisphere during the September equinox. The location on the earth where the sun is directly overhead at solar noon is known as the subsolar point. The subsolar point occurs on the equator during the September equinox and March equinox. At that time, the earth’s axis of rotation is perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of the earth and the sun. This is the time when many people believe that the earth experiences 12 hours of day and night. However, this is not exactly the case.
I’ve always been really interested in weather, maps and data like this. I keep holding out for the opportunity to do the weather on television one day. Wouldn’t that be cool?
As we enter into this new season, it reminds me of the changes that will occur. Leaves change colors and the outside temperature begins to cool. The change of seasons is also a time of year when people make a concerted effort to change undesirable health-related behaviors. With this in mind, I thought I’d provide links to two posts I’ve previously made on this topic.
Changing Behavior With God’s Help
Blog Post – Power to Change Behavior - Ephesians 3:14-20
Blog Post – Change Unhealthy Behavior – The Power of God’s Spirit in You
Enjoy the Fall season!
Aug
18
2009
Laughter is Good Medicine
Laughter really is good medicine. The Bible tells us “There a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:4
Today I read a wonderfully written blog post by Bonnie Gray sharing how she rediscovered fun and laughter amidst the great “work” she was doing for God. She begins … “Some might say that spirituality is measured by hours spent in prayer or in the Bible. But, the ability to have fun can be a tell tale indicator of good faith health.” Read her entire post.
“A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
Reading Bonnie’s post was a reminder for me to continue to slow down and smell the roses and that having fun can certainly be part of God’s work in my life! What about you?
Questions to Reflect On
Do you have a ‘happy heart?’ Are you making time to have fun on a regular basis, especially if you’re the task-oriented type.
Resources on My Site About Laughter and Health
Blog Post – A Cheerful Heart Releases Healthy Chemicals
Aug
01
2009
Dr. Christina Pulchaski, Executive Director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health, is interviewed by Sally Quinn of the Washington Post’s On Faith column.
Topics addressed in the 5-minute video:
- Intercessory prayer
- The power of belief
- Research design
- Mechanisms of religious practices and health outcomes
View the video of the interview here.
Jul
02
2009
There is a new report out by the Robert Woods Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health organization titled F as in Fat 2009 – How Obesity Policies in America are Failing. (Link provided is to the 108 page report.) A shorter Executive Summary is available here.
An MSNBC article provides insight into the report which indicates the the obesity epidemic in America is still worsening. In 31 states, more than one in four adults are obese according to the report. Obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over the past year, and no state experienced a significant decline. It’s a national crisis that “calls for a national strategy to combat obesity,” suggests Robert Wood Johnson vice president Dr. James Marks. Read more of this article »
Jun
17
2009
“When individuals, regardless of their faith, incorporate these powerful biblical principles of the Christian faith into their lives, the spirituality and health connection occurs and they will tend to enjoy better health and well-being.”
This is the conclusion to a recent presentation I made at Duke University. Read more of this article »
May
12
2009
There are probably a few hundred reasons that might motivate you to care for yourself and to be healthy. Here are five, actually four, reasons that motivate me at a really deep level… and I think that these are reasons why God would want us all to be motivated by.
- It glorifies God
- You’re taking care of your body - His temple
- It’s being a good witness
- You’ll have more energy – be better equipped for what God has planned for you
- I need your help with a 5th reason?
It Glorifies God
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that whatever we do we’re to do it to the glory of God. It also tells us in Isaiah that we were created and formed by God to glorify Him. This is our primary purpose in life – to glorify God. We do that when we care for our body and live a healthy lifestyle.
Our Body is God’s Temple and for Us to Care For
One scripture that reminds us that our body is God’s temple is 1 Corinthians 19-20. God’s Holy Spirit lives inside a believer. After we accept Jesus into heart, God gives us His Spirit to help us live the kind of life He wants us to live. Since God actually lives in us, Paul tells us in htis verse that our body is His temple. Since God “bought” us with a high price, Jesus’ death, than we are obligated to care for our body which is His temple.
If you are not a believer in Jesus but want to join His family, read more here.
Being Healthy is Being a Good Witness
Acts 1:8 reminds us that we are to be witnesses for other people. People look for us to be models of the Christian faith. We ought to desire to live our lives in a way that represents our faith well. Taking care of our health is one way that we can be a good witness.
You’ll Have More Energy to Do God’s Work
Ephesians 2:10 helps us see that we are God’s masterpiece, created to do the good things that He had planned a long time ago for us to do. We all know that the more fit and healthy we are the more energy we will have. The more energy that we have, the more we can put into whatever task we are doing. We’ll also be better able to sustain ourself for the long haul.
What’s a 5th Reason?
What is one other reason that you think God wants us to be healthy? Comment by adding a 5th reason that you think would be pleasing to God.
Something to Reflect On
What we believe determines what we do. I suspect that if you believe what I’ve written above, and you value your relationship with God, it’s likely that you are taking good care of your body and your health.
How well are you taking care of yourself and your health?
If your relationship with God is important to you, and you’re not taking too good care of your body, could you use this post as an inspiration to better care for your body?
May
09
2009
This morning I visited a friend who is in the hospital the day after his surgery to remove his prostate. Mike and I were involved in a Bible study a few years ago. He was aware of my bout with prostate cancer over the the last few years so he called me several weeks ago when he learned about his positive biopsy and decision to have a da Vinci Prostatectomy. As was the case with me, early detection made all the difference in the world ensuring that his cancer was caught early on and had not spread to other organs. See these American Cancer Society guidelines.
Mike is doing well post surgery – praise God! This morning, he and I talked about the road that he’ll have ahead of him over the next few months. My prayer is that his next PSA test will be zero – an indication that there is no more cancer of that type – and that he will be spared the side effects of incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Although none of us wants to go through really tough times and health challenges in our life, the fact is that life will brings us those types of challenges. It’s neat to be able to come out the other side and to be able to support someone who is facing the same challenges that you’d experienced and weathered.
Over the year plus that I was in my battle, I posted many blog entries about prostate cancer so others might benefit. If you’ve got a friend or you yourself have learned that you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, perhaps what I shared here over that year may be of help. Mike told me today that reading my posts were helpful for him.
I thought I’d also share again a short article I wrote about how my faith was an anchor in my battle with the cancer in hopes it might be encouraging to some.
Our life on this earth is short. Live yours to the fullest in a God-honoring way!
