Fear and hope are similar in that they are both forms of anticipation of the future. Fear is a form of negative hope.
A person’s thinking is often dominated either by the dream and hope of success or by fear of failure. When their hopes are not realized, or their desires, dreams, expectations, aspirations, or anticipation of success in something they have done - or are a part of, or desire to possess - are not met or fulfilled, it can cause frustration, anger, disappointment, discontent, and regret, resulting in feelings of sadness, fear, frustration, and worry of loss, impacting both mental and physical well-being, resulting in numerous physical and emotional responses such as prolonged sadness, frustration, and contribute to anxiety, depression and low self-esteem as they run ‘what if’s’ or ‘what could have been’ scenarios and contemplate multiple results. This can be exacerbated as a person may internalize negative beliefs about their unrealistic thinking and/or narcissistic inflation of abilities and worthiness resulting from unmet expectations.
I was raised by a mom who was into the occult, and I became very sensitive to the supernatural and have been harassed by demonic spirits ever since. Nearly six decades ago, I was Born-Again at 14 years of age, and the experience was a profound and dramatic encounter with Jesus that changed EVERYTHING! I have never looked back since. As I grew in my knowledge about Jesus and His Word, the demonic was more aggressive with me, and I learned about engaging in genuine spiritual warfare as well as moving and operating in the supernatural gifts of God, who continues proving to me He is not a cessationist.
I went to a Pentecostal Bible College and Seminary and the most important thing I learned was as an indirect result was how to study to the Bible using the rules of biblical Hermeneutics because I was taught a lot of stuff that didn’t corelate with the Bible under exegetical scrutiny, especially the teaching about divine healing guaranteed in the Atonement, as well as speaking in tongues as the primary proof a person received the Holy Spirit.
I married someone who was diagnosed with a terminal illness just before our marriage and given seven years to live. I thought nothing about it as I figured God would supernaturally heal her, which would, obviously of course help expand and catapult the reach of “my” ministry opportunities. When she was not healed, we were accused of not having enough faith and unconfessed sin in our lives. Some of our Christian acquaintances told us we needed deliverance from the demons of sickness dwelling in our bodies. Needless to say, these “friends of Job” weren’t very good at uplifting and edification!
My wife beat the Doctor's original life expectancy “word curse” by 29 years before she finally succumbed to the ravages of her multiple debilitating health issues. Needless to say, most of what I was taught in formal Bible education or learned from preparing for the pulpit was, at the very least, inadequate to prepare me for the long and arduous journey I was forced to travel.
There has been a lot of horrific teaching from Bible teachers about sickness and disease. Medicine and nutrition are constantly evolving sciences, yet many questions and mysteries about the root causes remain unanswered. I have read thousands upon thousands of pages within scientific journals and medical studies and have used the laws of biblical Hermeneutics to exegetically search the Scriptures to find insight and understanding about the causes of health issues.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were faced with the choice to believe God and trust Him or to reject His promises. They chose not to trust Him and, as a result, fell into a state of sinfulness, which entered the world and started the cascade of sickness, disease, and death for every living thing.
God said that He would not let humankind live forever on the earth in their sinful condition, but He would let them live at least 120 years (See Genesis 6:3). Yet, the average life span of most human beings is only 75 to 85 years. The question persisted in my spirit, “Why aren’t people living for at least the 120 years that God decreed rather than the far shorter life spans they do?
After years of study, I wrote a book, “The Physiology Of Faith,” which resulted in a Seminar that provides an insightful look at the wonders and marvels of the human body, which is truly God’s greatest creation, and how He originally intended it to function and prosper in health forever. The book delves extensively into the physical root causes of sickness and disease, including spiritual and emotional antagonists. The COVID controversy killed the Seminars, so I made the material available online to every Pastor in the world.
This message came about as a result of my having recently been diagnosed with an incurable terminal disease called Generalized Myasthenia Gravis (GMG), which has changed EVERYTHING - again! Its effects have put a hold (temporary, I hope!) on my pulpit/teaching ministry and travel opportunities. My frustration levels have been running at peak performance as I am currently dealing with all the medical needs, and trying to get all the medical professionals to coordinate with each other has been like herding snails! I am praying diligently that all this nonsense comes to a positive outcome sooner rather than later.
I have done a LOT more than usual prayer and intense soul searching to try and understand what my personal, emotional, and spiritual culpability could be for my immune system going haywire. That led to some recent uncomfortable realizations and a deep dive into things I have already studied and previously taught. Without going into explicit personal details, I have outlined some areas that need work, not just for me, but for every Christian to consider.
ANGER
Disappointment, discontent, and regret can result in anger, which is one of the most complex and powerful human emotions and can consume a person’s energy. Left unchecked, it can turn to bitterness and hatred, significantly harming the person experiencing it. Anger can mask feelings of helplessness, disappointment, insecurity, grief, and fear. Some people fear the possible consequences of revealing how they really feel.
Anger has been compared to the combustion process of a car engine that produces the power to make the car move. When those explosions are under control, they will take the car safely to its destination. But, if instead of controlling the flow of gas producing the explosions in each separate cylinder, all the gas in the tank was ignited at once, the car would blow up with the person in it!
Anger is neither good nor bad but rather a natural reaction when a person’s self-esteem or self-respect is hurt or threatened, and it is a sign that a person is alive. Hate, however, is a sign that one is sick and needs healing. Healthy anger can drive them to do something to change what makes them angry. It can actually help to make things better.
The main difference between hate and anger is that hate does not want to change things for the best; it wants to make things worse. When anger is managed correctly, it can be an asset. Anger is something that can’t be avoided, but it’s something that can be controlled. When it rears its ugly head, it can be expressed openly and directly, or it may be kept hidden inside, expressing itself as resentment.
Suppressed Anger
There are also ways in which anger can be shown unknowingly. Suppressed anger controls others through guilt or fear and may get a person their way without having to acknowledge the anger. A person may unknowingly show it by such things as being habitually late, using sarcasm, forgetting things, accidentally damaging or losing something that belongs to another, annoying someone, sulking, not paying attention, embarrassing people, being silent, and gossiping. Such behavior is infuriating because this anger manipulates and controls others, and then they, in turn, feel angry and resentful.
DISAPPOINTMENT
According to the Macmillan Dictionary, ‘disappointment’ is “the feeling of being unhappy because something that you hoped for or expected did not happen or because someone or something was not as good as you expected.” The person who feels disappointment is focused on the outcome of choices made or the unexpected events and consequences of life intervening in their plans, dreams, or aspirations.
Benjamin Franklin was reported to have said, “Contentment makes a poor man rich; discontent makes a rich man poor.” Unrealized hopes and dreams can have long-lasting negative emotional, physical, and spiritual effects.
Christians live in a constant state of opposing pressures caused by the cares of this world and the eternal longing for the next world. Everyone fights the battle of disappointment. There is no special immunity against it. The sinful instinct is to run away from the pressure and then try to fulfill those longings with dreams about the past of what could have been such as, “If only I had bought Gold at $600 an ounce,” or “If only I had married (insert name/s here)” or “If only I had taken that Job,” etc., etc., etc. The fallen human mind conjures up these false hopes and dreams made by human hands and not of God.
“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:24-25 NIV)
The problem with the stinking thinking of the sinful nature is that it can lead to chronic disappointment and affect both mental and physical health, causing the immune system to attack the inside of the body because it thinks it is being attacked from outside entities that are causing it and can’t differentiate from what is physical or mental/emotional/imagined that is making individuals feel unworthy or incapable. In the quiet hours of the night, fallen human beings are most prone to the subtle mind tricks of the enemy as he reminds them of the path not taken, or what could have been if only they had acted, spoken or chosen differently.
Prolonged emotional distress and feelings of being helpless and hopeless can increase stress levels and manifest as burnout and disrupt sleep patterns, leading to anxiety disorders, insomnia, or fatigue, creating a cycle of negative thoughts and feelings. Past disappointments can lead to difficulties in trusting others or forming new relationships, and can affect them as they struggle to connect with others due to their emotional state.
When a person has hopes that are not realized, or their desires, dreams, expectations, aspirations, or anticipation of success in something they have done, or are a part of, or desire to possess, are not met or fulfilled, it can cause frustration, regret, disappointment, and discontent. If their hopes are dashed on the rocks of reality, they will often target their anger at God, but for fear of looking faithless and fearing divine retribution, they lash out at those around them because they are feeling a sense of betrayal.
The danger is that what people try to possess can end up possessing them. This finite world was never designed to satisfy human longing because people are meant for intimate and eternal communion with the infinite God.
DISCONTENTMENT
Discontentment, along with disappointment, is rooted in the old nature and is based upon the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I. It is a very real part of our fallen nature, the essence of the first sin was discontent with not being able to take from a tree one single fruit that looked good, and discontent over a God who would keep them from knowledge and evil so they could be like God! The Bible teaches us that the human heart easily becomes discontented and that, left unchecked, it becomes a pathway for multiple sins. The cure is:
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)
It was discontentment that caused satan and one-third of the angels to rebel against God. Discontentment has been one of the enemy’s most effective weapons ever since. His earliest triumph came in the Garden of Eden when he sowed seeds of discontentment in Eve’s unsuspecting heart, resulting in disobedience and lack of trust. By misquoting God, he made Eve think that God was trying to cheat and keep her from becoming “like” Him. Eve took the fruit, ate it, and sometime later, gave it to Adam, and he ate it, resulting in sin entering the world and the DNA of humanity, resulting in everything in the world eventually decaying and dying. Since the fall, human beings have never been a happy race that is fully satisfied with anything on Earth because humans are born discontented, and some stay that way forever.
Because God is sovereign, He can do whatever He wants, however He wants, and whenever He wants. The enemy can’t escape or circumvent the sovereignty of God. In all cases, God remains in control - even when the devil is attacking. God monitors every temptation and assault. The story of Job makes this clear when God said to satan, "You incited me against him (Job) to ruin him without any reason" (Job 2:3 NIV). Even though Job was being attacked by satan, God retained His sovereignty over the situation. The devil can only tempt up to a point. The accuser does NOT have the authority to circumvent God’s will. He must submit to God’s overall sovereignty. He can’t exceed God’s limitations on temptation. God is not the author of pain, or sorrow, or sickness, or disease, or temptation – the evil one is! The spiritual reality is that discontentment is a denial of the truth a person claims to believe and is a direct attack on God and an attempt to overthrow His sovereignty. The fact is that it was Job’s fault because He lived in fear and not trust.
“What I FEARED has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” (Job 3:25-26 NIV – emphasis mine)
The devil can only tempt up to a point. The accuser does NOT have the authority to circumvent God’s will. He must submit to God’s overall sovereignty. He can’t exceed God’s limitations on temptation.
God is omniscient and has knowledge of all truth in every potential situation, whether before the beginning, at the ending, or in between, under all possible interpretations of any component. God knows everything that will or does happen. Before God spoke the world into existence, He knew independently what a person would freely choose if placed in any possible circumstance.
God alone grants salvation. Because He is Love, He gave human beings the free will to choose to accept or reject Him and to love or hate Him. He knows what choices a person will make, whether they are good or bad, just as a parent can understand the choices their child will make in a given situation, whether or not they actually make them. He perfectly accomplishes His will in their lives (See Matt 11:23). He knew that sin would enter into the world, but He is not the author of sin. God does not actively bring about overt acts of sin, suffering, anguish or pain because He is a good God.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10 NIV)
That is why the anointing of God and daily filling of the Holy Spirit is so vital for a healthy and vibrant Christian life. Benjamin Franklin said, “Contentment makes a poor man rich; discontent makes a rich man poor.”
“Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.” Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.” (1 Corinthians 7:14-24 NIV)
Beloved, God wants you to be content in all things and be all you can be in Him. Bloom where you are planted and not dream about where you want to be. Stay where you are and live for Jesus and do everything as unto Him until He calls you elsewhere. If you're single, stay single. If He wants you married, He will provide the perfect person for you. God always gives the best to those who leave the choice with Him. Don’t spend your days dreaming about marriage and hoping that the person of your dreams will miraculously appear at just the right time. Instead, use every day preparing to spend eternity with your Creator who knows everything about you, hears every thought, sees everything you do, and still loves you anyway! Serve the Lord and let your future rest in His firm grasp. If you’re married, stay married. ANY two Born-Again Christians can live in harmony and wedded bliss if they are sold out to Jesus, first and foremost. There will always be someone who comes along who seems more successful, attractive, smarter, or more spiritual.
“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:1-5 NIV)
Remember this - marriage will not make you happy, fulfill your dreams, bring you closer to God, solve your problems, or make you a better person because it can’t.
Irma Bombeck wrote a comedy-drama about a Big City couple who moved to the suburbs because they believed it would be a simpler life, but instead found new challenges. The title is “The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank.” True words to live by. The Bible implores every Christian:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34 NIV)
Beloved, the simple fact is that we will not be here on Earth forever because the only thing that lasts forever is Jesus and His merciful kindness and love. Hold lightly to what you value greatly in this life because you can’t keep it forever. If you make Jesus your purpose in life, you will be able to live it to the fullest, so take advantage of every moment with those you love.
Stop being preoccupied with things that could have been and those things that don’t matter in the eternal scheme of God’s love. This life is too short to be caught up in regret, discontentment, and disappointment. For those who are married, give thanks to God for your spouse and love them like no one else on the planet, building them up emotionally and spiritually - and pray for, and with, them always. Look for ways to show your love in everything you do as unto the Lord.
Living in discontentment and disappointment is a form of atheism because you are denying the truth you claim to believe. Let God define your life, not your circumstances or relationships. Let God define who you are.
The only thing that matters in this life and through all eternity is knowing Jesus and growing closer to Him each minute of every day. No one, and nothing else, will satisfy the longing in your heart. He must be the center of life. He has blessed you with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3 NIV).
Contrary to popular opinion, Jesus NEVER promised that you would spend the rest of your life in ‘prosperity,’ perfect health,’ and ‘contentment’ no matter how much ‘faith’ you have or Bible verses you ‘name and claim.’ If you are unhappy with what God has given or commanded you to do, you open yourself to severe spiritual attack, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
The Bible tells us how to live in such a way as to “have a good reputation with outsiders.” Having a reputation of being content with what you have and living a clean life will keep you from falling into “disgrace and into the devil's trap” (1 Timothy 3:7 NIV).
REGRET
Have you ever lain awake at night replaying words said, choices made, or something you did, or didn’t do, wishing things could have been different or taken back? That’s Regret, which is a complex emotional experience that combines feelings of disappointment, sadness, and self-blame. It is a universal human experience, one that can leave us feeling trapped in a maze of “what ifs” and “if only.”
Regret is not the same as guilt, which helps show the errors made and hopefully helps prevent them from being repeated. All that can be done is to repent and make every attempt to right the wrong committed. Dwelling on the thoughts of "if only I had" or "hadn't" will only cause a continuous guilt binding.
Regret is a comparison-based emotion of self-blame, experienced when people realize or imagine that their present situation would have been better had they decided differently in the past. Most Psychologists distinguish between two main types: action regret, which occurs when we wish we hadn’t done something, and inaction regret we didn’t take, like pursuing a dream job or expressing our feelings to someone special.
Regret involves memory, imagination, causality, and self-awareness of poor personal choices such as breaking up with someone who truly loved you, or missed life opportunities, like not telling someone how much you loved them or turning down an amazing job opportunity, which can lead to replaying in your head an alternate version of reality where you made different choices, or could have acted differently for a better outcome in life than the current one.
Understanding regret is crucial for our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. It’s not just about crying over spilled milk or mistakes made; it’s about learning from them and making better choices in the future. Regret isn’t purely logical because it carries a heavy emotional load of guilt, disappointment, shame, and longing. It is far more than just sadness or remorse because we failed at something we did or didn’t do, be it in the workplace, poor words spoken, actions taken, or never attempted a different choice if we had only chosen a different person to be our spouse, friend, job, etc., etc. The Brain actively constructs what could have happened by imagining the unchosen alternate path and then evaluates the emotional consequences of not taking it, which is what ignites regret.
The Dangers of Dwelling on the Past
While reflecting on past regrets can be useful for learning and growth, excessive dwelling on past mistakes can be harmful. Constantly revisiting past regrets can negatively impact your mental health and relationships.
Ruminating on regrets can lead to focusing on what could have been that you failed to engage fully with your present life. It can also strain relationships if you repeatedly bring up past grievances or mistakes, and can significantly impact self-esteem and self-perception. Over time, chronic regret can change Brain chemistry because it can lower serotonin levels, heightening depression and triggering stress that manifests as restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, or even physical discomfort. The fear of future regret can be paralyzing, leading to indecision and missed opportunities.
The intensity of regret can vary widely depending on several factors, which are the perceived importance of the decision, the clarity of the alternative outcome, and the degree of personal responsibility, and all can play a role. Regret over not buying Bitcoin when it first hit the open market might be intense due to the clear alternative positive outcome (potential wealth), while regret over choosing one college major over another might be less intense due to the uncertainty of how the alternative would have played out.
The Positive Aspects of Regret
By learning to strike a balance between acknowledging past regrets and living in the present is crucial for emotional and spiritual well-being. This involves developing the ability to reflect on the past without getting trapped in it, and using those reflections to inform your present actions and future goals.
When patterns of decision-making are identified as to where regret typically appears, you can work on developing more effective decision-making strategies, such as gathering more information before making choices or by setting clearer priorities. When regret is managed properly, it can be a powerful catalyst and motivating tool for personal growth and self-improvement by serving as a wake-up call, highlighting areas of your life that need attention or change and learning from past mistakes to make amends, repair relationships, or pursue neglected goals. By analyzing regrets, you can gain insights into your decision-making processes, values, and true desires. This self-knowledge can be invaluable in making better choices in the future.
Breaking the Cycle of Regret
It is interesting to note that Webster's Dictionary defines the word repent: 1) to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life; 2a) to feel regret or contrition; 2b) to change one's mind.
Focusing on the present and future, rather than the past, can help break the cycle of regret. While past decisions can’t be changed, you always have the power to make new choices that align with your values and goals. That is why repentance is so important for spiritual, emotional, and physical healing.
Worrying and fretting over those things that could have been, poor choices made, wrong actions or that went wrong can only be stopped by focusing on the love of Jesus and His gift of forgiving grace. It is because of what Jesus did that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life" has set Christians free "from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1-2 NIV).
Prayer and meditating on the merciful goodness of God every day allows detachment from repetitive self-blame. Focusing on what was learned instead of what was lost helps to regulate emotion and reshape memory to live in the present. When you begin to focus on the merciful goodness of God and what is happening, His presence reduces shame and increases resilience. People who feel regret deeply are often those with the richest inner lives. Their sorrow is not a sign of failure - it’s a sign of how much they hoped - and hope, in the end, is why we keep moving forward.
As revealed the emotion of regret is a complex and multifaceted aspect of human psychology and can be a source of pain, paralysis, as well as a catalyst for positive emotional, spiritual growth, and self-improvement, which can manifest itself in a healthier life.
The emotions of anger, disappointment, discontent, and regret are side effects of having libertarian free will and the responsibility of making decisions, which produce multiple and complex emotional responses, both good and bad, no matter the outcome.
Edward Mote wrote: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ, my righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.”
The Spirit, Mind, and Body Connection
The human body was fearfully and wonderfully made originally to live for all eternity. However, due to the rebellious disobedience of Adam and Eve, sin entered the world and changed everything. The reality is that everyone in this temporary life begins to die from the ravaging effects of sin’s sickness and disease from the moment they are born. No one is immune to death (unless they are ‘caught up’ out of this world (See 1Thess 4:17)! However, when a person becomes Born-Again, they are given eternal life because they were forgiven of all their sins!
Within the science of Physics is a branch known as the Laws of Thermodynamics. The second law is Entropy, an empirical biological reality and scientific absolute. Entropy is why things deteriorate, and the body breaks down as it ages. People go bald, hair turns gray, glasses are needed to see, skin wrinkles, bones get brittle, teeth decay, and organs ultimately fail. Everything dies because cells stop dividing, and organs stop working, which impairs normal functioning,' the definition of disease. No matter how much 'faith' a person conjures up, they can't escape it. Natural death can't be cured.
The dominant thought in medicine has been that the mind and the body are separate. An ever-increasing field in medicine is called Psycho-neuroimmunology (PNI) and has been gaining ever-increasing notoriety. It brings together knowledge from multiple fields of study in Endocrinology, Immunology, Psychology, Neurology, and numerous others. Modern medical science mainly focuses on the physical and tangible world, often blaming sickness and disease on bad genes, viruses, bacteria, etc. PNI is the study of how the mind and body work and interact with itself and their environment to produce states of health and disease.
More than 194 million Americans (59% of the adult population), with over 60% of them between 18 and 64, have at least one chronic medical condition. Nearly half have more than one. Most chronic illnesses are invisible, including over 18 million cancer survivors suffering the side effects of cancer treatment. An illness or injury is considered chronic when it lasts a year or longer, limits activity, and requires ongoing care. Currently, there are more than 80 different diseases that have been classified as autoimmune, with some estimates being up to 140. The word "auto" is the Greek word for “self.”
The Immune System
The immune system is a complicated network of cells and molecules that normally work to defend the body and eliminate infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and other invading microbes. If a person has an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakenly attacks the cells, tissues, and organs of a person's own body. These diseases afflict millions of Americans. Most autoimmune diseases strike women of working age and during their childbearing years more often than men.
It all begins in your head. The Brain is by far the most complex system in the body, consisting of over 100 billion cells or neurons. At any given moment, millions of nerve impulses are being transmitted along multiple pathways that interconnect various regions of the Brain. Every time a single nerve impulse moves from one nerve cell to the next, it must cross a tiny space called a synapse.
Microscopic amounts of chemicals called neurotransmitters are secreted into the synapse and allow nerve impulse transmission from one neuron to the next. There are over twenty different types of them in the Brain, and they affect the function of all human cells. Acetylcholine is a dominant neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in transmitting signals between nerve cells in both the Brain and body, affecting functions like muscle movement, memory, and attention. It is involved in various physiological processes, including the activation of muscles and the regulation of the autonomic nervous system.
Antibodies
Antibodies (aka: immunoglobulin) are protective proteins produced by your immune system. Antibodies are produced by B cells (specialized white blood cells). When an antigen comes into contact with a B cell, it causes the B cell to divide and clone. These cloned B cells — or plasma cells — release millions of antibodies into the bloodstream and lymph system, including the skin, lungs, tears, and saliva. The hub of the system is the Thymus Gland, located just behind and below the top of the Heart, along with numerous Lymph Nodes located throughout the body.
When the immune system is functioning, it recognizes when foreign substances (aka: antigens) - such as bacteria, fungi, allergens, viruses, venom, toxins - and other unwanted substances have entered the body because they are different from those found naturally in the body, and send out the Antibodies to attach to molecules on their surfaces and then attack and fight to eliminate them from the body.
Mind Over Matter
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2 NIV)
The mind does affect the body, but the body also affects the mind. What - and how - a person eats, whether they have physical contact, how and whether they exercise, how they breathe - all these seemingly small physical acts profoundly affect their moods and ability to function spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
When a person dwells in discontent, disappointment, and regret, it can quickly tumble into fear, anxiety, worry, and stress, and the body will secrete chemicals that prepare it to die rather than helping it to live. If a person feels joy or sorrow, every cell in their body responds to those emotions. Information about what is going on around a person enters the body through the senses.
Depending on a person’s emotional state, the Brain sends messages to all the cells in the body. Various genes in the cells are either turned on or off, starting or stopping the synthesis of proteins. This information is translated into electrical impulses and chemical substances. The function of all body systems is potentially altered based on which proteins were activated or deactivated. These chemicals are pumped out of the Brain into the bloodstream and eventually bind to the surface of all the cells in the body.
Breaking The Strongholds Of Sickness And Disease
The stronghold of fear that reveals itself through worry, anxiety, stress, and depression can be broken. Fear is the opposite of trust! The spirit, mind, and body can be healed by learning to trust God, which is why the Bible says:
“humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV)
Jesus commanded Christians to stop worrying “about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NIV). As revealed in the previous chapters, when a person is concerned, worried, or stressed out about anything, it can cause dramatic, detrimental effects on their health. Stopping the worry about tomorrow or the feelings of regret over yesterday is the only choice a person can make. They can let go, repent of their behavior, bad habits, and negative thought processes, forgive those who have hurt them, and give their life entirely to God, or they can hold on to it and, like Lot’s wife, suffer the spiritual, emotional, and physical consequences (See Genesis 19:6).
The True Source of Health and Healing
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:5-8 NIV)
Trusting-Faith is the source for living in health. It requires that a person “lean not on [one’s] own understanding.” The word "lean" comes from a Hebrew word defined as "to support oneself, as though they were leaning on something for assistance," which is the same word used when Samson leaned on the giant pillars supporting the Philistine temple. It is the idea of putting one’s weight on a crutch (See Judges 16:29).
God wants Christians leaning upon Him, not upon themselves. They can’t do it unless they are right next to Him. Leaning is a progressive state of mind. A person has to recommit their ways to Him continually. It must become the pattern of your life.
The word "understanding" refers to human intellect, knowledge, talents, logic, experience, reasoning, or perspective. Christians are commanded to STOP leaning “on your own understanding," which is the opposite of trust. You can’t "trust in the Lord" if you lean on your “own understanding." It is impossible!
The way to grow in Trusting-Faith is to: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart.” The root idea behind the Hebrew word for "trust" is to "take refuge" or "have confidence." This word carries the idea of throwing oneself down and lying on the ground before another, casting all hopes for the present and the future to someone else, and finding shelter and security.
You must learn to lie down at the feet of Jesus and cast “all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). You must give Him all the concerns and cares of your heart (the inner self - the emotions and intellect) that frustrate you, which isn’t just saying they "trust in the Lord" or acting as though you do. Instead, you are to be genuine in that "trust" and must do it with “ALL” your heart.
When you trust the Lord with all your heart, you relinquish ownership of those problems. You must still deal with them, but won’t be worried, stressed, or anxious over them because they now belong to Jesus. You must give them to Him because they are His problems!
You must “not be wise” in your “own eyes.” Moving in Trusting-Faith means you must stop trusting in your reasoning, intellect, education, abilities, talents, experience, etc., and “acknowledge him” in everything you do. The word “acknowledge” is the Hebrew word ‘yada’, which means to know very intimately, just as “Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived” (Genesis 4:1 NIV).
The only viable choice you can make to live and prosper in health is to turn away from self and turn to Jesus, remembering that He is ever present, continually loving, caring, and providing all that is needed. When you fully rely on the Lord to handle any situation, He will make your crooked “paths" straight and remove obstacles as you journey through life. Jesus doesn’t promise that life will be easy and without problems. When you learn to trust Him completely:
“This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:8 NIV)
The Bible commands you to pray for those who are suffering, and the one who is sick should “call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14 ESV).
If a person is under the consequences of sins committed, such as what the Bible warns about if a person takes communion in an unworthy manner, they need to acknowledge their faults to another for the sake of reconciliation and repent of them as the conditions for their healing because it will bring about the peace and love of forgiveness from those who may have been sinned against.
“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:14-16 NIV)
When you choose to present an effectual fervent prayer in confident trusting-faith for another by the power of the Holy Spirit, it avails much. It can restore to health the one who is sick due to personal sin, and the Lord shall raise them, and their sin will be sent away. However, that does not mean that God is absolutely and unconditionally obligated to heal them at that moment in time. A person may sincerely pray and truly believe that God can heal, but if He chooses not to provide healing at that moment, then it won't happen. If that were the case, any sick person would always recover, no matter how often they might be sick, and they would never die.
You are considered dead to the eternal effects of sin spiritually, but not physically. By Jesus freely shedding His blood, every person on the planet can now go to Him and find healing. It was never God's intent that anyone would die from anything. His will was that they never get sick. He has nothing to do with sickness or disease. It is also God's will that everyone come to saving faith in Jesus and that no one should ever die. Healing is NOT proof of a person’s faith and God’s love. Someday, all sickness and death will be eradicated.
God still performs miracles and heals people today! Sickness, disease, pain, and death are constant realities in this world. Until Jesus returns, everyone alive today will die, and the vast majority of them will die due to a physical problem (disease, sickness, injury). It is not always God’s will to heal physically at the moment He is asked.
God is the Creator of all things. He knows what is best according to His timing, not the created. Because He is love, He will use anything to draw His children closer to Him and teach them, including sickness and disease. However, that doesn’t mean He is responsible for it. Faith is not a tool you can use to make God move on your behalf. Faith is trust in action. The Apostle John gives the proper perspective:
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15 ESV)
I do not believe that it is the will of God to cause/allow/intend any Christian to suffer and experience disease, illness, and hardship so that He can teach them things through suffering that they would never be able to learn through a book or seminar, or comfort and prosperity.
One microgram of faith in Jesus Christ is all one needs to become Born-Again. A new born Christian is spiritually considered dead to the eternal effects of sin, but not physically. By Jesus freely shedding His blood, every person on the planet can now go to Him and find healing according to His sovereign will.
The fundamental fact is that healing was provided for in the atonement. The same is true for victory over death, sin, and satan. However, physical healing in this life is not guaranteed, but it is found through the provision of grace within the atonement itself. Christians are implored to pray without ceasing for anything they need or until God says, “My grace is sufficient for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:17; also 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV).
You need to exercise trust and hope when under affliction, no matter what caused it or where it came from. Faith is not a tool you can use to make God move on your behalf. Faith is trust in action. A person says by their faith, ‘God, I trust you to do this for me, but if You choose not to at this time, I will still trust You.’ Someday, all sickness and death will be eradicated.
CONCLUSION
Freedom from the anger of disappointment, discontent, and regret will come by dying to self and giving them to Jesus, which will open the floodgates of healing, blessings, and abundant life. You were not born with your fears; they are not who you are destined to be. The invisible scars you have carried from past and present experiences can only stay if you allow them to do so. They cannot exist if you let them go. Remember this great promise of Jesus:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27 NIV)
The human body and its systems are incredibly complex and profoundly amazing! Human beings have indeed been fearfully and wonderfully made! Our Creator God designed humans beautifully!
You are the Temple of God - His dwelling place – the Holy of the Holies - and it requires daily maintenance to stay healthy. The enemy of God can not dwell in His Temple! Daily living and prospering in health is God's will for every Christian, and He does not will any to be continually sick.
Beloved, remember this vital truth: God’s love is what energizes the entire immune system because God is love.
“Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:16-18 NIV)
Healthy living, free from sickness and disease, is possible! The strongholds of stress, worry, anxiety, depression, and fear can be broken! You don’t need a “faith healer” to receive a healing. You just need to walk IN trusting-faith to stay healthy by trusting God with every cell of your being.
Because sin entered into human DNA through the Fall in the Garden of Eden, the sinful nature is now in every human being born on this planet! Dogs bark, cat’s meow and sinner’s sin. You are, in fact, a ‘saved’ sinner. Over time, the effects of sin will take their toll on every human body as cellular entropy takes place daily - ultimately leading to death - no matter how much faith a person has, how healthy they eat, or how much they work out at the gym.
The best way to avoid a premature breakdown of the body is to diminish the effects of stress, anxiety, worry, and depression that are a part of living in this sin-filled world by trusting Jesus, the Beautiful God with every atom of your being – no matter what! That is the real secret of how to live and prosper in health! I believe God’s mercies are new every morning because we must learn to trust Him every new day, breath by breath!
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV)
Christians are pressed on every side by troubles, but they are not crushed and broken. They are perplexed, but they don’t give up and quit. They are hunted down, but God will never abandon them. They get knocked down, but they can get up again and keep going. Through trials, tribulation, and suffering, their frail and finite human bodies constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in their body (See 2 Corinthians 4:8-10). That is why the anointing of God and daily filling of the Holy Spirit is so vital for a healthy and vibrant Christian life.
