HEART, HEALTH AND HEALING (1)

“A merry HEART does good, like MEDICINE, but a broken spirit dries the bones” – Proverbs 17:22

Scripture is clear concerning the significant relationship between our spiritual HEART, HEALTH and HEALING: “A merry HEART does good, like MEDICINE, but a broken spirit dries the bones” (Pro.17:22). The Heart is hugely important as far as our well-being and health are concerned. We were preparing to wrap-up the Gems of Revelation on Hearts with the theme of the Blessed Heart; but the Holy Spirit impressed on our heart the need to examine more closely the links between Hearts, Health, Healing, and Miracles. We shall therefore devote this New Month to examining the place of the Heart in experiencing and enjoying sound health, well-being, healing, and miracles.

Many of the Bible verses about the Heart are related to our personal health and wellness. Here are few of such:

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Pro.4:23).

“A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones” (Pro.14:30).

“A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken” (Pro.15:13).

From a spiritual perspective, our heart – consisting of the spirit and soul – is the deepest part of our being. God clearly commands us to take priority care of matters of the heart. We are to guard against things that are not of God. We must resist the lies and falsehood that the devil tries to speak into our minds through various media, especially the pervading deception on social media. We must spend time hearing, reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word so that His truth can sink deep into our hearts. As we understand God’s Truth, we endeavour to live our lives in accordance with His guidelines and precepts. We monitor our thoughts, our words, and our behaviour. We take an honest look, on a periodic basis, deep into our heart, to see if there is any aspect of our heart that is not in alignment with God.

Harbouring bitterness or unforgiveness in the heart certainly is not of God. If somebody has hurt us in the past, if we feel upset with God or we haven’t forgiven ourselves concerning an issue of life, our heart is probably not right with either God, self or another person. God would want us to take such an issue to Him prayerfully so that we don’t carry this burden in our heart. Doing this frees us up on the inside so that more of God’s Spirit can control us. Yes, our heart is the wellspring of all life. It is at the deepest level of our heart that God lives in us with His Holy Spirit. He does not want to share space with anything that’s evil, impure, or unholy. He desires for our heart to be full of peace, joy and love. That’s when His Spirit can be alive add vibrant in us to the fullest, and our life will be healthier for it.

A Joyful Heart is good medicine! Joy and Humour are meant to be vital parts of our lives as human beings. The connection between our emotional health and physical health is undeniable. Those who are have a joyful and positive outlook are far more likely to enjoy better physical health. It’s not a guarantee that the joyful will never get sick, but their ability to recover from illness is greatly enhanced. Conversely, those who rarely laugh or spend long durations in overly serious states may be less able to handle the stress of illness and disease. Those with long term depression – “a broken spirit” – often have physically declining health that parallels their emotional illness.

God calls us maximize both emotional and physical strength and health. Having a reason to smile or a good laugh on a regular basis and keeping a positive and joyful spirit will be a blessing to our bodies. Keeping our bodies well-nourished and active will be a blessing to our emotions as well. When our Joy is on the rise, our health follows along!