X
Sign up for my FREE email series - "Intro to the Faith & Health Link"
Learn More Here

Faith and Health Connection

  • Home
  • About
  • Faith & Health
  • Scriptures
  • Church Health
  • Services
  • Store
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Health Coaching
  • Bible Study – Self Paced

Your View of God – Its Effects on Physical Health

January 29, 2016 By Dale Fletcher Leave a Comment

Spirituality_and_healthThe following is taken from the February, 2016 issue of Crossroads, a Newsletter of the Center for Spirituality, Theology & Health, Duke University.  Many of you will find this research interesting.

—————-

In one of the first reports from the Landmark Spirituality and Health Survey, researchers at the University of Michigan analyzed cross- sectional data from a nationwide survey of 1,774 U.S. adults to identify associations between a benevolent view of God, gratitude to God, hope, and physical health. A benevolent image of God was determined by agreement to the three statements: “Despite my shortcomings, I feel forgiven by God”; “I believe God is merciful”; and “I believe God will forgive my shortcomings.” Also assessed were frequency of attendance at religious services, spiritual support from one’s congregation, gratitude to God, and hope. Physical health was measured by a checklist of 10 physical symptoms and two self-rated health items (overall health rating and health related to others). Structural equation modeling was used to examine relationships, controlling for age, gender, education, and marital status.

Results: Persons who attended religious services more often and received more spiritual support from members of their congregation had a more benevolent image of God; those with a more benevolent image of God were more grateful to God; those who were more grateful to God experienced more hope; and greater hope was associated with better self-rated health and fewer physical symptoms. Researchers concluded that “…the foundational views that people have of God (i.e., their images of God) may have important health consequences.”

Citation: Krause N, Emmons RA, Ironson G (2015). Benevolent images of God, gratitude, and physical health status. Journal of Religion and Health 54:1503-1519

Comment: This one of the first studies conducted in a national random sample of U.S. adults to show that a person’s view of God may impact their physical health. Again, the cross-sectional nature of this sample prevents statements about the direction of cause or effect. Therefore, better physical health may also generate greater hope, greater hope may cause more gratitude to God, and more gratitude to God may result in a more benevolent image of God.

—————

My Take

It matters to our overall well being what we think or believe about God. Knowing who God is, according to the Holy Bible, is critical to one’s well being. One powerful example is this. The Bible tells us that God’s Son died on a cross so that we can be forgiven of our wrongdoings, and have a relationship with our Creator, God.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

If we believe and embrace this truth in our heart, it sets us up to spend eternal life in heaven, and favors well being here on this earth.

Related Resources

Other blog posts about spirituality and health

Other blog posts about the Research on Spirituality and Health

 

Share with your friends . . . . . .Share on buffer
Buffer
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on google
Google
Share on linkedin
Linkedin
Share on pinterest
Pinterest

Filed Under: Religion and Health, spirituality and health, the research

FREE Email Series

Want to understand the link between spirituality and your health?

VISIT THIS PAGE to learn about my FREE email series.

---

Receive My New Blog Posts in Your Inbox

Join the Conversation Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

connect with us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Translate to A Different Language

Learn & Grow

WorkshopBible StudyIntro Series

Get Blog Post Updates

Receive My New Blog Posts in Your Inbox
Loading

Blog Post Topics

affirmations behavior change Bible and Health Easter eternal life Exercise faith Faith and Health fitness food forgiveness Freedom God Healing Health health care heart Holy Spirit hope Jesus joy Life love mind body spirit obedience obesity peace power prayer relationships running scripture sin spiritual exercises spirituality and health strength stress The Bible the research thinking trust Twitter weight loss wellness wholeness

NEWSLETTER

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the article: "Understanding the Connection Between Spirituality and Health"

PathWay 2 Wholeness

Health-Bible-Study

This life transforming program 'connects the dots' between biblical principles and whole-person health.

About the Ministry

  • Mission, Vision, Beliefs
  • Statement of Faith
  • Dale Fletcher, Executive Director
  • Services
  • Newsletter Options

Become a Christian Life Coach

Life-Coach-training

Become a certified life coach. Read all about Christian Life Coach training at Christian Coach Institute.

Introduction to Faith & Health

Learn how faith and health are linked. Sign up for a FREE series of emails.

Join our online community

Network, share ideas & receive encouragement.

tweets of encouragement

  • Research shows that there is an association between the decline in attendance at religious services in the U.S. cor… https://t.co/R0IS8lbJMo
  • Amidst your circumstances today, are you fearful or confident and at peace? If you know your identity as a child o… https://t.co/RKtp9qnTdH
  • Do you have a deep wound in your heart that is influencing your behaviors that impact negatively on your physical h… https://t.co/2D1e2fRAJr
@faithandhealth

Copyright © 2025 - Faith and Health Connection