Stress will kill the human body. We allow
so much stress into our daily life that we often end up on medication to heal
the results of stress on our body and soul. It affects our cardiovascular,
endocrine, psychological and immune systems—as well as most of the other organs
in our body and our spiritual health. There are many proven healthy ways to
deal with stress.
(See:
http://www.charismamag.com/life/health/19047-how-to-deal-with-stress-god-s-way)
We have stress at work, home and sometimes
even in our social life, which makes us sick in body and soul. Scientists and
doctors agree that God designed our body to shed stress hormones when we cry.
This helps to protect our brain and bodily organs. When we grieve our
disappointments and losses, our tears cleanse our soul, but they also help our
body.
After times of tears, our heart rate and
our breathing grow calmer. Tears also produce endorphins, which improve our
emotional well-being. Allow your soul to grieve to the
extent, and for as long as it needs to, in order to gain relief from your loss.
Grief only affects us negatively, when we allow it to take over our life, to
exclude us from healthy activities and to closet us from life.
Tears will also alert those around us that
we are hurting. These people usually respond with kindness and concern, and
they benefit us physically and emotionally as well. Grief can strengthen our
connections with family, friends and even perfect strangers who stop to show
they care. Therefore, do not hold back your tears; let them flow.
God uses our afflictions to purify us, to
teach us patience and to help us to learn to take authority over the devil (James
1:5). He also uses our grief to cleanse us of inordinate
affections and idols, which are deeply rooted in our life. God always brings
comfort to us in our sorrows, through other people and by His Holy Spirit. God
uses grief to restore our soul to health (Psalm 23:3).
God strengthens us through our night of
grief, and brings us joy in the morning (Psalm 30:5). He is our ever-present help in times of trouble (Isaiah
41:10; Psalm 46:1-2). As we grieve through our sorrow,
its strength dissipates and our soul feels freer. We not only grieve the loss
of people and pets, but also treasured objects that were ripped from our grasp
unexpectedly. If we do not allow our soul to grieve these losses, we carry that
pain with us all of our life.
Prayer:
Father God, we often hold on to our grief,
because it brings us comfort in some distorted way. We do not realize that
grieving through our loss is much healthier for us. Give to all of those who
grieve the comfort, which only You can supply; Your deep, internal comfort,
which changes our focus and attitude about our circumstances. Thank You also
for the Body of Christ, which supports us in our times of sorrow.
Thought for the Day:
Blessed are those who mourn, for God will comfort them.
Blessed are those who mourn, for God will comfort them.
– Matthew 5:4
