Jesus teaches us that He can give us an abundant life...And I believe that in this command are ideas on keeping us in good health...
Our earthly journey toward holistic health and well-being is a complex one, deeply intertwined with our thoughts, emotions, and our spiritual state...I believe that health is a process of the mind, body, and soul (Spirit) - all contributing to how we feel... Modern understanding, championed by figures like Lorimer Moseley, John Sarno, Claire Weekes, and Norman Vincent Peale, along with the pioneering work of Dr. Smiley Blanton and Norman Cousins, increasingly reveals the profound impact of our psychological landscape on our physical health...What's remarkable is how these contemporary insights in the last eighty years resonate with ancient biblical wisdom, particularly the teachings of Jesus and Paul, suggesting that a cheerful heart truly is good medicine, as the Proverbist wisely declared (Proverbs 17:22)...This connection invites us to explore how cultivating positive psychological thoughts—what one might call Safeties In Me (SIMS as Lorimer Moseley labels them)—can actively contribute to our healing process and help us stay healthier longer, by counteracting Dangers In Me (DIMS again as Lorimer Moseley labels them), or our negative psychological thoughts...
Throughout Scripture, we see numerous examples of men and women of God who, by choosing faith over fear and hope over despair, navigated immense challenges with remarkable resilience...Figures like David, who often poured out his anxieties (DIMS) to God in the Psalms yet consistently concluded with trust and praise (SIMS); Joseph, who endured betrayal and imprisonment but maintained a Spirit of Forgiveness and faith in God's Ultimate Plan; and Daniel, who faced lions' dens and political intrigue with unwavering conviction, all demonstrate the power of a divinely-rooted mindset to overcome adversity and maintain inner peace with their great positive faith...Their lives illustrate that the principles of fostering SIMS and positive thoughts are not new, but are woven into the fabric of God's Design for human flourishing and staying healthy and is a part of a healthy healing process...
Adding to this rich tapestry of understanding is the work of Dr. Smiley Blanton, a prominent psychiatrist who, in collaboration with Reverend Norman Vincent Peale, explored the profound intersection of faith and mental well-being...Their book, "Faith Is the Answer: A Psychiatrist and a Pastor Discuss Your Problems," published in 1940, pioneered a unique dialogue between psychology and spirituality...Blanton believed that many psychological problems stemmed from a lack of faith and spiritual grounding, acting as significant DIMS that hindered mental and physical health...He advocated for the therapeutic power of religious belief, prayer, and a Positive Outlook, seeing them as vital SIMS that could help individuals overcome anxiety, fear, and emotional distress...This aligns perfectly with Jesus's promise of a peace that transcends worldly understanding: "My peace I give you...I do not give to you as the world gives...Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27)...Blanton's approach emphasized that integrating spiritual principles into one's life could lead this Profound Inner Peace and resilience, reinforcing the idea that a healthy mind is intrinsically linked to a healthy spirit...Put another way in Dr. Blanton's writings, following Jesus is good for one's health...
At the heart of this modern understanding is the concept that our brains constantly assess threats and our safeties...DIMS are perceived dangers that can trigger protective responses in our bodies, often leading to physical symptoms like pain, anxiety, or illness...DIMS can exascerbate pain and negative health issues and our healing processes that we have...Conversely, SIMS are perceived as safeties and helping in our health that promote healing, relaxation, and overall well-being...This framework helps explain why our mental state isn't just a byproduct of our physical health, but a powerful determinant of it...
Lorimer Moseley, a leading pain neuroscientist, has revolutionized our understanding of chronic pain...His work emphasizes that pain is an output of the brain, and is a protective mechanism, rather than a direct measure of tissue damage...He teaches that by understanding how pain works—by recognizing that many pains are DIMS signals generated by the brain in response to perceived threats, even when there's no ongoing physical injury—individuals can actually reduce their pain experience...Learning about the science of pain, and thus creating SIMS through knowledge, empowers patients to reframe their relationship with pain, reducing the brain's threat response and promoting healing...Our negative thoughts can keep us ill, hold on to pain longer, and to keep the healing process from advancing in a more positive and better way...
John Sarno, through his work on Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), took this concept further (interesting because his writings predate Moseley's studies), arguing that many chronic pain conditions (like back pain, fibromyalgia, and migraines) are physical manifestations of repressed emotions and psychological stress...For Sarno, these unacknowledged emotional burdens act as DIMS, creating physical tension and pain...His treatment involved educating patients about the psychological origin of their pain, encouraging them to acknowledge and process their emotions...Find out what is bothering you was one of his motifs... His core belief was that many chronic pain conditions, which often lacked clear structural or physical causes, were actually physical manifestations of repressed emotions and psychological stress...By shifting focus from physical symptoms to one's emotional roots, patients could create SIMS in their minds, leading to remarkable physical healing...
Claire Weekes writing in the early 1960's, was a pioneer in treating anxiety and panic attacks...She offered a practical approach rooted in facing, accepting, floating, and letting time pass for one's sensitized nervous system to calm down...She understood that the fear of anxiety itself becomes a DIM, perpetuating the cycle of panic...Her method teaches individuals to accept anxious feelings without fighting them, to float through them without adding secondary fear, and to face the situations that trigger anxiety...The longer we hold on the second fears and the what ifs of our illness, the longer we take to heal our sensitized nervous system...This deliberate cultivation of acceptance and courage generates SIMS, gradually retraining the brain's fear response and allowing the body to return to a state of calm and health...
Pastor and author, Norman Vincent Peale, the renowned author of the 1952 book, "The Power of Positive Thinking," directly championed the idea that a positive mental attitude, fueled by faith, can overcome life's obstacles and contribute to well-being...A man of great faith, he believed that by replacing negative, self-defeating thoughts (DIMS) with positive, faith-filled ones (SIMS), individuals could unlock their potential and experience greater health and happiness...As we explored in our previous Bible Page on "Paul's Peace in All Situations" (Philippians 4:1-23), Peale as well as St. Paul saw God as the "Most Positive Force and Source," aligning his philosophy with the Biblical Truth of God that our confidence and positive outlook are most potent when rooted in God's Power and His Unwavering LOVE...His work encourages a conscious choice to cultivate a mindset of hope and belief, drawing strength from a Divine Source...These two men had a confidence and positive outlook rooted in God...Both Peale and Paul emphasize that true and enduring confidence, as well as a positive outlook, are most potent when they are rooted in God's Power and His unwavering LOVE...Peale encouraged cultivating a mindset of hope and belief by drawing strength from the Divine Source of our Father...
Adding to this powerful chorus is Norman Cousins, whose personal journey with a debilitating illness led him to famously declare in the 1970's "laughter is the best medicine."...Cousins intentionally used humor and positive emotions to combat severe pain and inflammation...His experience, documented in "Anatomy of an Illness," provided compelling anecdotal evidence that laughter and a positive outlook could have physiological benefits, reducing stress hormones and promoting healing...Laughter, in this context, is a powerful SIM that directly counteracts the physiological stress responses triggered by DIMS...
These insights from year of modern thinkers and thinking resonate profoundly with the teachings of Jesus and Paul...Paul, writing from a Roman prison, exemplified the ultimate triumph of SIMS over DIMS...As we reflected in our "Paul's Peace in All Situations" describes his contentment was not a natural disposition but a learned skill, cultivated through his dependence on Christ...His famous declaration, "I can do all this through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13), is a profound statement of Christ-sufficiency, a powerful SIM that enabled him to find peace whether in plenty or in want...His instruction to the Philippians, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God...And the Peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7), is a direct biblical strategy for replacing DIMS (anxiety) with SIMS (peace, prayer, thanksgiving)...
Jesus Himself consistently taught against worry, which is a major DIM...He commanded, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear" (Matthew 6:25)...He pointed to the birds and the lilies, illustrating God's meticulous care and encouraging His followers to trust in their heavenly Father's provision, thereby cultivating powerful SIMS through faith...His Ultimate Antidote to anxiety was to "seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33)...This prioritization of God's will and His Kingdom is the Ultimate SIM, ensuring that our focus is on the unshakeable rather than the fleeting...
The wisdom of Proverbs beautifully encapsulates this mind-body connection: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17:22)...This ancient proverb directly links our emotional state to our physical health, suggesting that joy and positivity are therapeutic, while sadness and negativity (DIMS) can lead to physical deterioration...This timeless biblical lessons aligns perfectly with the modern understanding of how SIMS promote healing and vitality, while DIMS can contribute to illness...
In conclusion, the insights of Moseley, Sarno, Weekes, Peale, Blanton, and Cousins, while rooted in scientific or psychological observation, find a powerful resonance with Biblical Truths and having faith in Jesus and His Father...They collectively underscore that our thoughts and emotional responses profoundly affect our physical well-being...The peace that Paul experienced, the freedom from worry that Jesus taught, and the wisdom of the Proverbist all point to a Divine Design where cultivating Safeties In Me—through faith, prayer, gratitude, and a deliberate focus on God's Truth and LOVE—is not just a spiritual discipline, but a pathway to greater health, healing, and what truly is a more Abundant Life...