Serving Others: A Health Remedy

A study was done some years ago (1988} by Psychology Today which involved 1700 women. These women were under stress and they participated in various ways whereby they helped other people. After 30 days, 85% of the women reported that they had been relieved of stress symptoms that included "stress headaches, voice loss, and even pain from lupus and multiple sclerosis, according to TODAY GOD IS FIRST by Os Hillman.

Depression is a serious illness for those of us that have experienced it. And in numbers it looks like this:

The NIMH estimates that in the United States, 16 million adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2012. That's 6.9 percent of the population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression.Jan 28, 2015

Millions of dollars a year are spent by people like you and me to relieve our stress. From simple headache remedies to years of therapy.

And who is benefitting from our stress? The drug companies, the doctors and on and on while we continue to suffer and in doing so, have to rely on them for relief. And hey, I am not here to put any of them down. If people need them, I know that God uses different ways to bring relief. My question is why do we need them in the first place?

Do I not need to rely on God first? We know that he does not want us to be depressed because it is much of the cause of illness. He is the Great Physician. He knows our bodies better than we do for he created us.

He wants us to cast our anxiety on him because he cares for us. 1 Peter 5:7.

And getting back to the study done in 1988, I believe there is an answer for us in it. When we focus on what is going on in our lives that make us unhappy and miserable, it has a profound effect on our health and in our lives in general. Not to mention those around us.

To get up and do for others (especially in God's name)  does something in us that brings on fulfillment to us. By helping the needy, by sharing what we have with others. By being a friend. Sometimes just by listening and being empathic to someone's situation. These acts of kindness can work good in our own bodies. They can bring relief to our stress.

And most importantly I believe is just being cheerful and happy ourselves first. Because just like being grumpy can make someone else grumpy, being cheerful can produce the same effect on others as well.  We aren't always happy about what we are going through. However, we can be happy in Jesus despite what we are going through. Being UP instead of being Down when we are talking with people. Being cheerful with our families even if we aren't exactly feeling like it.

You have heard the term "Fake until you make it." Sometimes that may be what we need to do about our situations. Even when we aren't happy, just by acting like we are can make a difference.

And by focusing on God and his word for us, can put us in a much better place than when we aren't.

Are you in a better place with God every day, no matter what you are going through? Get up. Get into his word. And then go do something to help someone else. See then what a difference it can make in not only your attitude but your body as well. It can be just what the doctor (Our Great Physician) ordered!

Thanks for visiting today Friends. Please come back tomorrow. Until then be blessed and bless someone else today!