Feel that Your Soul and Body May be Well

There is a clear connection between the health of your soul and that of your body: 

According to Charles Goodstein, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry at New York University's Langone School of Medicine in New York City, the brain is intimately connected to our endocrine system, which secretes hormones that can have a powerful influence on your emotional health. “Thoughts and feelings as they are generated within the mind [can influence] the outpouring of hormones from the endocrine system, which in effect control much of what goes on within the body,” says Dr. Goodstein. (www.everydayhealth.com).

The healthy soul (seat of your mind, emotion and will) is one that is aware of its frailty in a way that promotes healthy acceptance of its thoughts and feelings, so that they may be held captive by the truth, light and life of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5). When the soul functions in this way, what is thought and felt is held up against the standard of truth, which emboldens us to endure even the most difficult emotions without fear of being devoured by them. The soul that is healthy, in its intimacy with the endocrine system, influences the outpouring of hormones that promote health in the body. This week we will continue our exploration of the mind-body connection under the tutelage of Jesus Christ, who teaches us how to process our emotions in a way that promotes wholistic health. 

When we encounter our Teacher in Matthew 26: 38, He is in mourning. We come to this knowledge, not through any close analysis of the text but, because He consciously reveals it: "I am deeply grieved to the point of death." (Matthew 26:38).

"Grief refers to the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connected to the loss of something important." (www.therapistaid.com). It has its origin in the soul. Jesus is filled with the thoughts and feelings connected to the loss He was purposed to endure on our behalf. He is thinking of the cross, even though He knows that thereafter will be glory. In three days He will rebuild the temple [His body], yet on the eve of its destruction He mourns. (John 2:19). He enters fully the travail of His journey. The glorious Sunday morning, does not negate the suffering He will surely endure on Friday. Thursday is for confrontation. Thursday is for acceptance. Thursday is for conscious feeling. Thursday is for acknowledgement. Thursday is for choosing His will still.

The resolve that assisted Jesus in persevering the ordeal of the cross came only as a result of accepting the feeling of loss and pervasive sadness that swallowed His soul. His acceptance was central to His fight. In accepting His feelings, He made them vulnerable to the light that was His in His fellowship and nearness with His Father. The Bible records that He drew near to His Father in prayer. (Matthew 26:39). He drew near to the One who loved Him perfectly and in whose hands He would surrender His Spirit. (Luke 23:46). He drew nearer to the perfect Love that casts out all fear. (1 John 4:18). And it was His unity with this Love that allowed Him to resolve to endure the cross and its shame, knowing that thereafter their unity would be forever established. (Hebrews 12: 2).

Beloved, you too can come to this place of acceptance, not as an act of settling in desperation but, so as to persevere to see what the glorious end will be, all along working to promote the health of your body! In Isaiah 43: 1 - 3 encourages:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; you are mine.
I will be with you
when you pass through the waters,
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not overwhelm you.
You will not be scorched
when you walk through the fire,
and the flame will not burn you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.

When the flood comes and the fire rages. You will not drown. He will give you air from His Spirit. You will not burn. He will temper the fire, so that it works to refine you. You can bear to feel. You can bear to acknowledge it, because He is with you.

​Happy temple building.
​
Take care. Bless many.

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in our commitment to support women in wholistic self-care, we will be making available to you several resources to encourage you to prosper mind, spirit and body. Get a head start on May's offerings! And remember, share the good news with a friend!

Subscribe to Be-Held: Peace of Mind here.
Be-Held: Peace of Mind - A monthly publication providing Christ- centered mental health resources that raise awareness about mental health issues, end stigma around mental illness and point persons to hope in Jesus Christ.

Get access to your Peace of Mind Self-Care Kit here.
Take care by downloading our FREE Peace of Mind Self-Care Kit. Setting up your personal Peace of Mind Self-Care Kit is a proactive measure you can take to safeguard your mental health. Many of the suggested components can be engaged on a daily basis to foster mental health. However, many are specific for valley seasons and are helpful when you sense that your mental health has been compromised.

Get access to the mental health awareness guide for your church here.
This guide includes the following:

• Basic definitions and facts pertaining to mental health.
• ​Ideas for raising awareness, ending stigma and pointing people to hope within your church community.​
• A Place to Start: Practical suggestions for implementing ideas in your community immediately and over time.
• Guidance to support community members in creating their own Peace of Mind Self-Care Kit, to include printables.​