People are shaped by their thoughts, and their bodies respond to the kind of thinking that takes place within them.
Christian blogger and author Mark DeJesus wrote on his website that God has created people's bodies to thrive in amazing vitality and wholeness. As such, people must do their part to enrich their thinking and add life to their temple.
"Quite often, the condition of our health can be traced back to the quality of our thought life; not just the thoughts we present to people, but what we really think within ourselves, about our life, God and others," he said. "The solution is not only to removing toxic thinking, but filling your life immediately with thoughts that produce life and health."
So what kinds of thoughts should people focus on? DeJesus provided six thoughts that can make people healthier.
The first thought concerns gratitude. DeJesus said people should start each day with gratitude in their hearts, and pray to God for all that He is, all that He has done, and all that He is doing. When people look at their lives through the lens of appreciation, DeJesus guaranteed that their expectations for the rest of the day will follow suit.
The second thought concerns forgiveness. "You will be bombarded all throughout your daily interactions to become more embittered at people and life. Jesus spoke of forgiving 70 times 70, meaning you will constantly need to forgive and carry the power of grace in your life," he said.
When people allow the trap of being offended get a hold of their lives, bitterness will creep in and start to defile them. So DeJesus said people should let go of those who have hurt and wronged them.
DeJesus also said that people should focus on thoughts that promote self-nurture. People often wait for others to affirm them, but there's nothing wrong if people start the affirmation within themselves. They should think, "God loves me. I love myself. I love my life. I have what it takes to overcome."
Next, deJesus recommended that people face their fears. "Every day, do something that scares you. Step into something that you have been avoiding," he said. "Facing our fears is so good for our bodies, because our physiology has a stress response built in. So many spend their lives avoiding anything that activates their stress response, thinking that's the answer. When in fact, stress can be good for you. It challenges you to grow, rise to the occasion and develop a sense of faith you did not carry before."
Another thought DeJesus is recommending is the proper processing of grief. Instead of running away from grief, DeJesus said people should embrace it — take time to cry, mourn, and cast one's cares upon God. If people keep keep their emotions pent up, it will become detrimental to one's well-being.
"At some point, you will snap and explode if those areas are not addressed. I have ministered to hundreds of people that have never simply grieved," he said.
Lastly, DeJesus is encouraging thoughts that lead people to love someone. Every single day of one's life, it's nice to give a part of one's self and love someone else. Even if that person is hard to love, DeJesus said people should give their time, finances or energy to bless them.
"Selfishness and being self-consumed are not good for your overall health and they keep us in isolation. Get out there and help someone. Put yourself in a position where you are able to get out of your battles and help those who are struggling in their own life," he said.
