Are you a Christian are wondering why Christians are having the same medical issues as non-believers? You know you’re saved and have inherited eternal life but are plagued with health issues that no one seems to be able to resolve? Do people tell you that you don’t have enough faith? Are you wondering why God doesn’t answer your prayers for healing?
You’ve heard of the mind-body connection…well as a Christian you should know of the body, soul & spirit connection when it comes to your health. We know that our thoughts affect our physical health and vice versa. An injury or pain can bring about depression. Or being nervous about speaking in public can give you butterflies in your stomach. But, your health depends on more than nutrition, exercise and the power of positive thinking because our wellness or wholeness goes far deeper than that. “For our struggle is not against flesh & blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world & against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
Our fears, anxiety and “stressors” cause clear physical consequences to our bodies. Our bodies reacting to our thought processes remain in a fight or flight readiness. And instead of returning to homeostasis or a normal balance of hormones, if we continue in the same thought patterns, we hold our bodies hostage to a constant barrage of alarm reaction hormones. The perception of danger or fear of the unknown triggers a response that travels from the sensory cortex of the brain through the hypothalamus to the brain stem. That signaling starts a reaction of hormone secretion of epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine from the adrenal glands. You don’t have to think about it. Your autonomic nervous system takes over and takes charge. The following responses take place:
Heart rate and strength of cardiac muscle contraction are increased Increased blood pressure Alternating dilation and constriction of the blood vessels Digestion slows down or stops Spleen contracts and discharges stored blood Sweat production increases Fat and glucose are released for muscular action Rate of breathing increases Pupils dilate Bladder relaxes Loss of hearing Loss of peripheral vision Acceleration of instantaneous reflexes Shaking
A “stressor” is anything that causes fear or anxiety in your life. If you maintain continual “stress” in your life that your autonomic nervous system handles daily on a fight or flight basis all of your organs begin to be affected. You don’t even see it happening. Although your lab results and your symptoms will give it away. Now we come to cortisol, a steroid hormone. Its primary functions are to increase blood sugar, suppress the immune system, and aid in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism.
It also decreases bone formation. It’s release is controlled by the hypothalamus. Under normal circumstances, cortisol, like other agents of fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism, has widespread actions which help restore balance after a stressor or fight or flight occurrence. Although cortisol secretion is a natural function, prolonged cortisol secretion due to chronic stressors causes many physiological consequences.
Counteracts insulin Induces collagen loss in the skin It stimulates gastric acid secretion Acts as an anti-diuretic hormone Lowers bone formation favoring osteoporosis Weakens the immune system May result in damage to cells involving memory retention Increases blood pressure Shuts down the reproductive system
If your body stays in a chronic stressed state it degenerates to a dis-eased state. It reaches the point of exhaustion and can no longer return to balance. The medical answer to this is medicine. Drugs. But, drugs are a poor substitute for the peace of God that passes all understanding. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Fear is a sin as it places doubt in your mind about God’s ability to take care of you. 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” Spiritual roots of disease such as fear go beyond changing your nutrition, setting up an exercise plan and using positive affirmations. The question begs why would God heal you if you are co-operating with a spirit of fear, anxiety and stress in your life? If we do not remove the spirit of fear we are vulnerable to the same bodily responses that brought us to a dis-eased condition.
We are like Pavlov’s dogs that became famous for conditional reflexes. Given a certain stimuli their bodily functions automatically reacted with the same response. I know families that even pride themselves in the fact that their pessimism and worrying runs in the family. They feel that how they handle fear, anxiety and stress is familial and can’t be changed.
That is an excuse from responsibility and what God calls the iniquity of generations. There is a correlation and consequence of sin and disease. If you have exhausted your options turning to man’s answers and thought God has given up on you and that He wants you to have disease, I want to tell you that is far from the truth. We can readily see the mind/body connection as much information is distributed about it.
But, too often we ignore, are blind, or minimize the spiritual connection to one of the psychological realm. The Bible however tells us we wrestle not with flesh and blood and not of ourselves and our subconscious. It is time to take an inventory of what is in your spiritual diet! “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 To see if I may be of help in this area take Your Next Step.
