Dr. McLaughlin of Women’s Medical College in Philadelphia says that “65-85% of all sickness is rooted in the mental and spiritual; 99% of headaches, 75% of stomach disorders, 75% of asthma, and 75% of skin diseases.”
The Kingdom of God is God’s total program for total health! It all begins with seeking first the Kingdom of God through the renewing of your mind. That’s why Paul wrote, “…be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:23-24
The Greatest Sermon on Healthy Living
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is about Kingdom healthy living. When we renew our minds with the attitudes of the greatest sermon ever given, we become healthier, more joyful, and more powerful in our life. In Matthew 6, Jesus is talking about some of our biggest health issues in this life—relationships, worry, and the inner struggle of materialism. But then he concluded by saying, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” In other words, if you make the primary thing—the Kingdom of God—your aim, all other areas of your life line up and get taken care of.
As a medical convention in the 1960’s, after much debate, they adopted a resolution that the best prescription for total health was the Sermon on the Mount. Instead of “Blessed” they inserted “healthy.” “Healthy” are those who know who are poor in spirit; “Healthy” are those with a gentle spirit; “Healthy” are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Matthew 5:3~5
The resilient life, the high impact life, is a life of seeking first the Kingdom of God. We tend to think of the Kingdom of God as something only spiritual, but God made us as one with three parts. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 we are described as spirit, body, and soul.
Here is my thesis for healthy living: The more you line up with God’s Kingdom purposes spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically, the healthier, more vibrant, and more resilient your life will become.
Renew your Mind and Experience New Joy
The Bible says “…the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10). And so should we think and live! So, how do we rewire our brain toward Kingdom of God living?
Meditation in Truth.
Meditate in and Study God’s Word. Meditation in truth—examine yourself, examine your thinking. Need a relationship with the profound? What’s more profound than truth. You have to turn off the lies, confusion, and hyper alarming of the news and this world’s systems. It’s not just fake news it’s unhealthy news.
You can tell a lot about one’s character by how much truth one can tolerate. The truth sets you free. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Find the Jesus Way and you will find the Truth, and the truth will give you life, a healthy life.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, positive thinking is linked to a wide range of health benefits including:
- Better stress management and coping skills.
- Enhanced psychological health.
- Greater resistance to the common cold.
- Increased physical well-being.
- Longer life span.
- Lower rates of depression.
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease-related death.
One study of 1,558 older adults found that positive thinking could also reduce frailty during old age.
Clearly, there are many benefits of positive thinking, but why exactly does positive thinking have such a strong impact on physical and mental health?
One theory is that people who think positively tend to be less affected by stress. Another possibility is that people who think positively tend to live healthier lives in general; they may exercise more, follow a more nutritious diet, and avoid unhealthy behaviors.
Deal with your Trauma and Shame. Vulnerability is the key. Freedom and joy breakthrough comes through dealing with our shame. Forgiveness is huge.
We need to make a contract with ourselves. All of us have had trauma. Not all trauma is a capital T but rather many small t traumas. Healthy vulnerability about our trauma will impact our resiliency. Some of the areas we are impacted by trauma are:
• Sexual.
• Mental.
• Spiritual.
• Neglect.
• Abandonment.
• Enmeshment—forced into a role of a parent with another parent and the emotional burdens.
• Tragic events at an early age.
Get Outside. Get your Daily Dose of Vitamin D, called the Sunshine Vitamin.
Your body produces Vitamin D naturally when it’s directly exposed to sunlight. You can also get Vitamin D through certain foods and supplements to ensure adequate levels.
The National Institute of Health recommends thirty minutes a day with no sunscreen to get your daily allowance of Vitamin D. Why?
- Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the gut and maintains adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable normal bone mineralization, bone strengthening, and bone growth.
- Reduces inflammation and optimizes cell growth.
- Strengthens your immune system.
The bottom line for renewing your mind is to realize that you are not just your mind, but a tri-partite person made up of spirit, body, and mind. When you renew your mind with Kingdom seeking, Kingdom thinking, you are going to impact your spirit and body, indeed your whole life.
Pastor Steve
