Real Treasure!

Proverbs 18:22 NLT The man who finds a wife finds a treasure...
Message Translation Find a good spouse, you find a good life...

Fellas, there is more truth to this scripture than you may think! Studies prove that married men are consistently healthier and actually live up to five years longer than single, divorced or widowed men. In fact, you blessed hubbies between the ages of 18 and 44 are noticeably healthier than men of the same ages. If you are single don't run out and marry the first girl you meet just to protect and prolong your life because there is a little more to it than that.

I've already mentioned in a previous post that stress from a half-hour argument can slow wound healing by at least a day. Long-term marital stress can set the stage for much more serious health problems. Anxiety and stress disrupt your immune system, and if that's a constant condition, it can open you up to stroke, diabetes and heart disease. Cardiologists actually report that a contentious, stressful marriage slows cardiac recovery time. Constant fighting, accusations and resentment seriously compromise the body's healing ability.

Perhaps this is why men are reminded that rice and beans eaten in a peaceful, loving atmosphere is better than surf and turf in a house full of anger and strife (Proverbs 17:1). In fact, there are several verses along these lines. Obviously the quality of the marriage is critical. While these scriptures seem to put all the responsibility on the wife, it "takes two to tango" as the saying goes!

Husbands, if you want to live a long, healthy, peaceful life, consider these suggestions:

Be concerned with how to please your wife daily (1 Corinthians 7:33);
Love her sacrificially and unconditionally (Ephesians 5:25); and
Praise her sincerely, liberally and often (Proverbs 31:28, 29).

That being said, one interesting study shows that in order to have a healthy, fulfilling marriage, partners must focus on each other's good qualities rather than on the irritating habits that may cause friction. Well, duh! Proverbs 10:12, 1 Corinthians 13:7 and Romans 12:18 clearly set forth three simple keys to harmonious living: allow your love to act as a covering for your spouse's shortcomings and flaws; think the best of them; and do whatever it takes to live in peace. Simple, and although it is not necessarily always easy, it is certainly worth the effort.

So, guys, if you have a wife, treat her like the gift from God that she is and enjoy a longer, healthier life!

Which Do You Think is Easier?

Matthew 9:5 For which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?

God created harmony, order and wholeness. Everything in creation expresses that, including our bodies. I'd like to continue and expand on this theme of wholeness we touched on in the last post. We are not meant to be solely spiritual beings while on this earth. We are spirits, who have a soul and live in a physical body. God specifically created us in this way in order for us to be able to function on this planet. Without our physical bodies, we could not survive on planet earth. Let's look at several passages that I find thought-provoking.

The woman with the issue of blood has been heralded for her faith. However, what I would like to concentrate on here is how her physical infirmity affected her spirit and soul. In the culture of her day a woman with that affliction, or even during her monthly period, was not allowed to attend worship services or to have relations with her husband. She had this bleeding problem for twelve, long years! Can you imagine how it must have devastated her personal relationships as well as her spiritual life? When Jesus healed the paralytic in Matthew 9:2-8, He equated forgiveness of sins with physical healing as the opening scripture shows.

Consider 1 Thessalonians 5:23 in the Amplified version: And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through - that is, separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God - and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete (and found) blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

There is a branch of science called psychoneuroimmunology - a huge mouthful that refers to he study of how our thoughts and beliefs affect our physical health and most specifically our immune systems. Guilt, shame, bitterness, unforgiveness, fear and anger cause very specific physical consequences. Brain scans show that when you imagine an event, your thoughts activate the areas of your brain that were triggered during the actual event. So, if you continually replay a stressful event in your mind, your body reacts as if it was really occurring - over and over! When your brain is activated it causes different chemical and hormonal responses to take place.

We now know how chronic stress can cause adrenal fatigue, heart disease, diabetes and is even a factor in obesity. But even minor stress, such as an argument or anxiety about an exam, hinders the immune system. In fact, research shows that anger from an argument delays wound healing by at least a day!

That certainly gives new meaning to God's command to "be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26). Every one of His commands is for our good - spirit, soul and body - after all, He really does know best!