Stay Alive All Your Life - Part 11

Chapter 13 - How to Feel Well and Have Vibrant Health

Dr. Peale starts this chapter with a short sentence. “Stop dying and start living.” And goes on to say, “And live vitally all your life.”

Either you are growing or you are dying. The secret of growing may be as simple as making up your mind to put the accent on life.

Jesus Christ is not only the healer of our souls, but of our minds and bodies as well. What He did on earth 2000 years ago He can still do. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Dr. Peale says God works in at least 2 ways in healing people: through His servant the Dr. or nurse and through spiritual faith.

The chemical balance within the body is governed mainly by 3 tiny glands: the pituitary and the 2 adrenals. The pituitary is at the base of the brain and the 2 adrenals lie astride the kidneys. Together they weigh no more than 1/3 of an ounce and their principal job is to adapt the body to all manners of stress. If you are cold, the arteries constrict and raise the blood pressure to warm you. When bacteria invades the body, the glands provide hormones to fight it. In severe injury they cause the blood to clot. They increase blood sugar when you need quick energy. They decrease sensitivity to pain.

In today’s hurried up, stress-filled world we’re causing these glands an overload of work! The constant stress thrown at the body eventually breaks them down and arteries harden, blood pressure rises and stays high, heart disease develops and arthritis strikes.

The author interviewed an eye, ear and nose specialist who said 1/3 of his patients had ear, nasal or sinus trouble because of their resentments, anxieties and other conflicts. That he had one man who kept coming in with colds and finally figured out that before every cold he had had a fight with his wife.

Ill will, fear, anger, hate, resentment…. Bad stuff!

He interviewed another man who at the time was the National Country Doctor of the year and asked him what the chief cause of sickness was. The Dr. replied, “Nerves and tension.” Here’s his advice for staying well:

1. Live each day as it comes: don’t worry about next week
2. Learn to live instead of trying to get rich
3. Never remain angry
4. Begin each day by liking everyone you meet
5. Go to church: practice your religion. Really use prayer and your faith
6. Live a quiet, serene life

Another doctor was quoted as saying that 77% of his patients were “draining back into their bodies the diseased thoughts of their minds.” He places religious books and copies of the Bible in his practice’s waiting room.

The people who came to Jesus to be healed had faith that He could heal them and He did.

Now I don’t want to say that the people who aren’t healed who have prayed didn’t have enough faith. Sometimes what happens is part of a bigger plan than we can see now. And remember if that person was a Christian he or she is happy and whole in God’s presence right now.

Look for the good in others. Pray for those you don’t like. And mean it! Also, we must share God’s blessings. We are blessed so we can bless others.

Dr. Peale suggests saying both the 23rd Psalm and the Lord’s Prayer daily. And to meditate on them. And then during the day send up little prayers of thankfulness.

Stretch daily, move around and breathe deeply. And then remember John 14:27, “Let not your heart be troubled.”