Health and Happiness

Two important factors that keep us happy are Physical Health and Mental Health. Go to any hospital and see. There is a gloomy look on faces because of the pain and suffering they are going through. You go to bed happy but get up in the morning with a bad tooth ache. How do you feel when someone tells you to rejoice? Next to im- possible!

Many things are not in our hands but one thing that is under our control to some extent, that can change our destiny is health. There is no elixir for long life but some general principles regarding our health should be understood.

I. Physical Health.

I am not saying if you are sick you are not right with God but some important Spiritual commands for Physical Health are —

a) Revere God’s Name - Malachi 4:2

“For you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”

The Jews would not pronounce the name Je- hovah, so much so it is hard to know how it sounds in Hebrew. While transcribing the Scrip- tures the early scribes used to stand up, wash the nib in water, dip it in ink and write the name and then again would wash the nib before they sit down and continue to transcribe. In the ten commandments we are instructed never to misuse the name. We should not even say jokes about God. It is an awe- some name.

b) Obey His Commands - Prov- erbs 3:1,2

“My son, do not forget My teaching, but keep My commands in your heart, for they will pro- long your life many years and bring you pros- perity” (See also Exo 15:26; Dt 28:15, 35; Prov 4:22; Matt 13:15).

c) Honor Your Parents - Ephesians 6:2,3 “Honor your father and mother — which is the first commandment with a promise — that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

 

Keralites are long-livers. The reason they say is that they respect their parents and in-laws and treat them well. This does not mean grown up and married children should be under their thumb, no. You should be independent, assertive indi- viduals showing love and respect to parents.

d) Help the needy - Isaiah 58:6-8

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderers with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear.”

If anyone is mistreated unjustly, speak for them. Have you seen the necks of oxen tied to an yoke? We used to go to school in an ox cart and I have seen the ulcerated necks of the oxen. There are so many such people, crying under the burden with raw wounds. Release them. We all throw coins to beggars. But what God says here is to share “our” food with the hungry. That is, when we are not rich enough to give, when we are surviving on minimum, to sacrifice even a portion of that. Buy some clothes and keep at home so that when you see someone not prop- erly clothed you can immediately give them. Help your poor relatives.

e) Be happy in the Lord - Nehemiah 8:10

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

We must learn to cope with the sorrows of life. Grief will sap your strength. Many women (sometimes men) phone me and cry their heart out narrating their problems. At a certain point I tell them, “Now stop crying. Face life. You are an adult. You should be bold to go ahead in life taking decisions that will help you move forward in life.” Whatever it may be, go ahead to seek happiness in the Lord. That alone will strengthen you. The Bible says, “Rejoice in the Lord AL- WAYS” (Phil 4:4) and “Be Joyful ALWAYS” (1 Thess 5:16).

f) Follow natural laws - 1 Corinthians 3:16,17 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will de- stroy him, for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”

If you pile up two plates of mutton Biriyani before you, thank God and pray to Him to re- move all diseases from it and sanctify it, do you think God will make the cholesterol in the food disappear? Be sensible. Sweet-shop owners will tell you that diabates does not come by eating sweets. It is business for them. If you sleep with another person and get a disease you are de- stroying your body.

There are unavoidable diseases like heredi- tary diseases, cancer, etc. But we can escape the preventable diseases.

Some general principles are —

• Eat more of vegetables and fruits and go light on meats. Minimize eating in hotels. Eat seasonal products like sugar cane, corn, peanuts etc. Eat more proteins like dals and beans like rajma, channa, soya, etc.
• Eat sparingly, don’t binge. When you are trying to lose weight, family and friends who are not in the same boat, can sabotage your good intentions. Beware!
• Walk, walk, walk. Some of us are like the mortar — immobile. We take the shape of the mortar. Some are like the pestle - active all the time. They take the shape of the pestle. Exercise regularly.
• Drink plenty of water. By that you can avoid a host of diseases and keep your skin supple.
• Brush your teeth twice a day and gargle after every meal to avoid dental caries and bad breath. Never use a hard brush. A glass of milk a day is good for your teeth.
• Rest one day a week. That will refresh you. “Whoever cheats on rest by working excessive hours is simply embezzling from himself. The Iron Man, sleeping only a few hours at night and work- ing seven days a week, is template for self-de- struction,”   says a specialist. Sleep at least 6-8 hours a day.
• Go for regular check-ups at least once a year. Get vaccination whenever necessary. Any lump, bleeding from any orifice, non-healing ulcers, growing mole, expanding patch should put you on red alert. Take your medicines regularly.
• Wear your helmet or seat belt. Hand washing helps a lot. Have a body wash before going to bed to remove the day’s sweat and dirt.
• Sun glasses can help prevent or postpone cataract. Use umbrella in hot sun.
• Three to four teaspoons of the juice of lime a day prevents common infections like cold.
• Clean wounds with soap and water immedi- ately. Keep your house, toilets and body clean. K Teach yourself to say “enough” and make an exit when you are under pressure to take up more. Don’t think of yourself as the legendary Atlas to carry everybody’s burden on your shoulders; know your limits.
• Laugh a lot. Laughter was the recurring theme in our home throughout my childhood. It is the music of the soul.
• Be modestly beautiful. That will keep you and others happy.
• Don’t be afraid of growing old or becoming ill. Each is a worthy experience. Life with all its limitations problems and pain is still a treasure. The fear of death keeps us from living not from dying. Death will decide its time. You don’t have to die earlier. Never give up hope. Hold on to hope as long as possible.

How much care Solomon took to build and maintain God’s temple! Do we care for our body, the temple of God, that much?

II Mental Health

Here again there are unavoidable mental sick- nesses like those inherited or following diseases like meningitis, malaria, typhoid, etc.

So do not condemn anyone mentally affected. I can think of two reasons that can cause mental conditions like confusion and depression.

a) Disobedience to God’s Word

“The Lord will send on you ... confusion ... because of the evil you have done in forsaking Him ... The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. ... the Lord will give you an anxious mind ” (Dt 28:28,29,65).

Nebuchadnezzar was a very successful king to whom God revealed many secrets because He wanted to win him over. But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride he was given the mind of an animal. When he repented, his sanity was restored (Dan 4:16,34).

b) Worry

Worry leads to unhappiness and anxiety. Rachel who was barren bounced on Jacob mak- ing him angry. But Hannah, afflicted with the same problem poured her heart at the Lord’s feet and was no more sad. We should know how to handle our anxieties. Note the following verses
—

• Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.”
• Isaiah 28:16 “The one who trusts will never be dismayed.”
• Luke 12:25,26 “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing why do you worry about the rest?”

When your mind is set on God and your trust is fully on Him then there is no place for worry. You will enjoy perfect peace.

Jesus spoke about birdwatching. It destresses you and connects you with nature. I have kept a birdbath in our backyard where there is a sappota tree and scatter grains every day. We watch nearly twenty five varieties of birds there. They eat the grains, drink the water and peck at the fruits along with the squirrels and lizzards. We jump and squeal and name each visitor and check the Google. Each bird reminds us that God cares for us and we don’t have to worry.

Keep yourself busy. “Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night,” says Leo Aikman.

The ubiquity of mobile phones has contrib- uted to mental ill health. Where we were talking to ten persons, now we are talking to twenty. So don’t feel obliged to take every call and don’t have a missed heart beat for every missed call.

In acceptance is peace. When you are caught in a situation that you cannot change, just accept it. Even if you have a terminal disease you don’t have to sit down and mope. Unrelieved sadness can wear down the body even as it deflates the spirit. So lean on God. The message of Philippians 4:4-6 is Rejoice, rejoice, don’t worry!

Some women and men are crying under wicked circumstances. It is pointless to tell them, “Accept, don’t worry, rejoice.” There is some- thing called ‘Human Rights.’Appropriate it. Learn to give bold answers instead of trembling and weeping. Act. I heard of a girl who recently com- mitted suicide. Her parents were not in a posi- tion to take her in. Why didn’t someone encour- age her to walk out of the maltreatment or guide her to a Women’s Organisation or take her in? There are plenty of avenues these days if you are bold.

Let me conclude by saying -

Keep your body healthy, your mind hale and hearty and happiness comes searching for you!

Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
 +91 9843511943
  lilianstanley@gmail.com

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