Stress and Your Health – Physical, Mental and Spiritual Effects

In week two of our Faith and Health Ambassador Beta training course, Dr. Kara Davis was the guest instructor. Dr. Davis presented information and answered questions about the impact that stress has on our physical, spiritual, and mental health and how it can influence our unhealthy behaviors. She helped the students better understand ‘the connection’ that exists between our physical and behavioral reactions to stressful situations and how the memories (and associated toxic emotions) of past stressful events can impact our health. Dr. Davis reminded us that when Adam and Eve chose to sin in the Garden of Eden that sin, spiritual death and illness began to be passed along to all of mankind. Adam and Eve covered themselves and hid from God because their felt guilty of their sin and shameful. This includes you and me. Man’s and woman’s bodies began to have medical disorders, their minds began to have psychiatric disorders and their spirits began to have spiritual disorders. This still occurs to us today.

 “At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the manand his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”” Genesis 3:7-10

This was followed by a discussion about what occurs to the body physiologically when toxic emotions and their related chemicals – associated with stressful events and memories – flood our body. Physical conditions such as colds and infections, hypertension and heart disease, chronic headaches and migraines, and muscular pains… the list goes on and on. There was also a great discussion about the significance that our attitudes, belief systems and thinking patterns can influence how we react to potential stressors in our life. As an example, an attitude of cynicism and pessimism can wreck havoc on the body’s physical systems and organs. Conversely, an attitude of optimism, thankfulness and gratitude helps all our bodily systems line up with one another as God designed them to work. One additional topic of discussion during last night’s session had to do with the negative environment that we all must contend with. First, Satan and his demonic forces are always at work in our lives. Second, we are bombarded with a worldly system that is very unlike God’s system and the way that He would want us to live. And thirdly, we have our flesh to contend with. Our selfish and old natures, that have yet to be transformed by the Spirit of God, are still at work in our lives. Dr. Davis reminded us that only as we surrender and rely upon God and receive his truth and love in our mind and spirit can we truly be healthy. When we live by his Spirit, we can enjoy the fruit of his Spirit in our life, especially the fruit of peace and joy and love which are conducive to good health.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23

Questions to Reflect On: How are you managing the stressors that are present in your life? Are the beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that influence your reaction to stressors based upon the Word of God and his principles? Could some of the physical conditions and illnesses that may be present in your life be attributed to chronic stress and the toxic emotions and the related chemicals that have been released in your body? Related Resources: Visit the website of Dr. Kara Davis to read about her ministry. Article – Manage Your Stress with God’s Help Read how you can become a Faith and Health Ambassador for your community and church.