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Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever thingsare noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Psalm 105:5
Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says theLord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Positive thinking did not begin with the self-help movement. From ancient times, the people of the Bible have been positive thinkers--looking towards the blessings that come from God, believing things will turn out ok because they have faith in their Creator, and realizing that worry and negativity separate them from God. For Christians, the belief in God's salvation gives us the ultimate reason to see our cups as overflowing even when they appear empty--God will give us eternal life to be with Him forever!
This blog links principles of Christian life to their health benefits in the here-and-now. Positive thinking helps us in our spiritual walk, but also offers great benefits for our physical health as well.
Positive thinking has been linked to better stress management (and that helps EVERYTHING), improved immune response, reduced risk of dying from heart problems, more resilience in the face of life's curves, and an increased lifespan. (Benefits of Positive Thinking). It can improve outcomes in surgery. (Positive Thinking, Faster Recovery). Because of the physiology involved in positive thinking versus negative thinking (which is associated with stress responses and "fight or flight" increased reactivity), those who have predominantly positive thoughts see more options in solving problems in their lives. (How Positive Thoughts Build Skills, Boost Health, and Improve Work).
The Bible also extols the virtues of positive thoughts. Proverbs tells us "a merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones." Again and again, God tells His people to rejoice at the good things He puts in their lives. The Holy Days, outlined in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, include specific directives to rejoice, and to rehearse the ways that God had blessed the family.
The apostle Paul told the church in Philipi to focus their minds on the positive. In Matthew 6, Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, tells the crowd “therefore do not worry. . . . For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
Worry, that antithesis of positivity, is dangerous to your health. The National Institutes of Health list a variety of health problems worry can cause or aggravate. They include back pain, cardiovascular problems, irritable bowel symptoms, and sleep disturbances. (Sick With Worry: How Thoughts Affect Your Health).
Worry hurts your health; thinking positive thoughts help it. God built the health blessings of peaceful thoughts into our bodies, and wants us to draw closer to Him and reap the benefits and joyful optimism of believing His promises of good things in our lives.
Resources for this post:
http://psychology.about.com/od/PositivePsychology/a/benefits-of-positive-thinking.htm
http://lifehacker.com/how-positive-thoughts-build-skills-boost-health-and-i-600484130
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=117317&page=1
http://www.agingcare.com/Articles/health-problems-caused-by-stress-143376.htm
Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says theLord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Deuteronomy 16:14-15
And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter. . .because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.
1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14, 16-18
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. . . For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Positive thinking did not begin with the self-help movement. From ancient times, the people of the Bible have been positive thinkers--looking towards the blessings that come from God, believing things will turn out ok because they have faith in their Creator, and realizing that worry and negativity separate them from God. For Christians, the belief in God's salvation gives us the ultimate reason to see our cups as overflowing even when they appear empty--God will give us eternal life to be with Him forever!
This blog links principles of Christian life to their health benefits in the here-and-now. Positive thinking helps us in our spiritual walk, but also offers great benefits for our physical health as well.
Positive thinking has been linked to better stress management (and that helps EVERYTHING), improved immune response, reduced risk of dying from heart problems, more resilience in the face of life's curves, and an increased lifespan. (Benefits of Positive Thinking). It can improve outcomes in surgery. (Positive Thinking, Faster Recovery). Because of the physiology involved in positive thinking versus negative thinking (which is associated with stress responses and "fight or flight" increased reactivity), those who have predominantly positive thoughts see more options in solving problems in their lives. (How Positive Thoughts Build Skills, Boost Health, and Improve Work).
The Bible also extols the virtues of positive thoughts. Proverbs tells us "a merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones." Again and again, God tells His people to rejoice at the good things He puts in their lives. The Holy Days, outlined in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, include specific directives to rejoice, and to rehearse the ways that God had blessed the family.
The apostle Paul told the church in Philipi to focus their minds on the positive. In Matthew 6, Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, tells the crowd “therefore do not worry. . . . For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
Worry, that antithesis of positivity, is dangerous to your health. The National Institutes of Health list a variety of health problems worry can cause or aggravate. They include back pain, cardiovascular problems, irritable bowel symptoms, and sleep disturbances. (Sick With Worry: How Thoughts Affect Your Health).
Worry hurts your health; thinking positive thoughts help it. God built the health blessings of peaceful thoughts into our bodies, and wants us to draw closer to Him and reap the benefits and joyful optimism of believing His promises of good things in our lives.
Resources for this post:
http://psychology.about.com/od/PositivePsychology/a/benefits-of-positive-thinking.htm
http://lifehacker.com/how-positive-thoughts-build-skills-boost-health-and-i-600484130
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=117317&page=1
http://www.agingcare.com/Articles/health-problems-caused-by-stress-143376.htm
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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