7 Keys to Emotional Health

by Barbara Latta

Why are pharmaceutical companies bombarding the airwaves with new drugs promising to elevate mood and make your day better? Because the majority of the population wants quick fixes for their problems with little or no effort to solve the cause. I have heard some

Pills can't solve problems

advertisements for weight loss pills which promise to drop weight like a deflating balloon while the consumer continues to eat whatever they desire.  Others promise instant relief from depression by asking the doctor for their product. Medication may affect body chemicals, but a pill cannot make someone happy.

Lifestyle alterations are necessary for any productive changes in our lives. These 7 keys can implement better emotional health and peaceful lives.

1.Forgive – Harboring unforgiveness can cause physical symptoms in our bodies such as ulcers, headaches, and high blood pressure. Many examples are recorded of people who have been healed of diseases after truly forgiving another. “Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:13).

2.Reduce stress – Examine your schedule and cut out any unnecessary activities. We all have job responsibilities and family issues, but children do not have to participate in every event the school or community offers. Limit clutter on your calendar. “And whatever you do,

Cut activities

do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23).

3.Examine thoughts – Dwelling on negative issues and problems brings more depression. You will keep him in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on you” (Isaiah 26:3).

4.Stop the comparison trap – Media thrives on the human desire to look or perform better than someone else. We all have our good and bad points, but comparison results in never being satisfied with who we are. This doesn’t mean we never try to improve, but if we have to be better than someone else before we can be happy we need to re-examine our motives.  We don’t have to own more than someone else, either. Our life’s value is not in our possessions. We don’t need a TV in every room or a new car each year. Is the stuff that will someday be in a rust pile worth fretting over? “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15).

5.Have fun – Learn to relax by unplugging from electronics or anything that is a time stealer and give the mind a vacation for a set time each day. Having fun doesn’t have to be an expensive vacation. Laughing together and playing games with the family instead of watching TV can bring amazing results. “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a

Make time for fun

broken spirit dries the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

6.Get enough rest and eat healthy – While all sickness is not caused from eating habits, consuming junk food or too much sugar brings unhealthy results. Physical ailments can result in emotional down turns. “And He said to them, ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).

7.Put God first – This is the most important. If our lives are

Put God first

prioritized to listen to God and follow His Word, we will be receiving instructions to keep ourselves from falling into pits of depression and despair. Making time in prayer and Bible study will set us up for success during the remaining hours of the day. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:34).

What are some other keys you can add to this list? Share your thoughts.

Weeding God's Garden

by Barbara Latta

Seeds produce what is planted

I love spring because it means warmer weather and flower planting. Usually, by the time I come out of hibernation the bulbs placed in the ground during the fall months have already started pushing through the earth with new blooms. That calls me to plant something else to go with them.

However, after being dormant all winter unwelcome invaders want to invade my flower garden. Weeds! They not only ruin the look of the garden, they can choke out the beautiful plants I love. Pulling them out of the ground can become hard work, but if they are attacked while they are small, the task is easy. Those weeds started out as seeds that were dropped onto the ground or blown there by the wind. They weren’t noticeable until they started to grow.

Seeds are small and can’t be seen after they are put into the ground. But after they grow, the type of seed that’s been planted is evident. It’s a lot harder to get rid of weeds in the garden that have been growing for a long time because the roots are deep. Bad thoughts and attitudes that are allowed to stay in place can get deep roots also. The longer we let them stay, the harder they are to get rid of.  

Our mind is God’s garden. Seeds can get planted there according to what we put into our minds. If we plant the good seed of God’s Word, we have a beautiful, fruitful garden for all to enjoy. But if we let bad thoughts, attitudes, and emotions grow, we have weeds.

Weeds need to be uprooted

That's why we need to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (I Corinthians 10:5).

We must guard our hearts by renewing our minds with the Word of God. Pulling out those weeds from the enemy while they are small will ensure they don’t take root and clog our hearts. Our wellspring of life can flow freely if it isn’t stopped up with weeds. “Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

Join the conversation and share how you stop the weeds.

When the Dog Bites and the Bee Stings

In the movie, The Sound of Music, Julie Andrews sings the song, “My Favorite Things” to the Von Trapp children to get their minds off a thunderstorm. The song lists several cute and catchy things that are better to think about than being afraid of a storm. Even though thinking about brown paper packages tied up with string won’t get me out of the doldrums, the premise of the song is true. Thinking changes everything.

The Bible says, “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

Depression comes when our thinking is focused on what is wrong instead of what the answer is. Situations may be bad, but continuously focusing on the problem causes it to appear even worse.

Scientific tests have shown that negative thinking causes chemical secretions in our brain that actually produce depression and hopelessness.[1]  These feelings rush people to the doctor for a pill to alleviate the depression which can cause other side effects in the body. All these medications do is treat symptoms and even cause addictions in some cases which make matters worse. The root cause is not addressed.

Minds need to be renewed by the Word of God. No matter what circumstances we are facing, God has an answer. He is bigger than any problem, but we have to tap into His power. He gave us His Word as the key to the treasures of heaven.

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).

Peace in our soul comes from thinking God’s way. So when the dog bites, or the bee stings, or nothing is going your way, what do you do?

Share your thoughts.

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[1] See “Who Switched Off My Brain?” by Dr. Caroline Leaf

Weeding the Garden

Rain, rain, rain. We haven't had this much rain in about two years. Our yard is so green and is growing faster than we can cut it. It's nice not to have to water flowers every day.

But along with the flowers and grass we want, we also get culprits we don't want. Weeds. I spent part of my weekend pulling weeds out of all my flower beds and putting down new mulch. Hopefully, that will help curb their growth.

We get weeds in our lives sometimes too. They can creep in unaware and unless we get rid of them while they are small, we can have a full blown problem. Just like weeds in a garden can take over the plants, weeds in our minds can take over our lives.

So how do we get rid of those invaders that pop up in our thoughts?

1. Recognize a weed as soon as it appears. A bad thought, attitude, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc. are all weeds in our minds.

 2. Take control of our mind because that's where the seeds get planted. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

3. Realize that when something pops into our minds it's not a sin unless we act on it. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

What other scriptures do you stand on to keep those weeds out of your life?