Thrive_Autumn 2019 digital issue

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truth talk Autumn 2019 HEALTH THE BENEFITS by Valerie Heaton OF FAITH TRUTH TALK: THEOLOGY AND TRENDS In today’s culture, we’re constantly told that if we hustle hard enough, follow our feelings, and chase our dreams we’ll be living happy, healthy and enviable lives. There are countless self-help books, podcasts, and gurus that profess to hold the secret to being your absolute best, and many fall victim to these false claims. Not many non-Christians would think that religion could play a role in cultivating the kind of life they seek, yet numerous studies have shown that there are both mental and physical health benefits to those who regularly engage in religious practices such as prayer, reading Scripture, and attending worship services. In fact, adults who are highly religious (pray daily and attend religious services at least once a week) have been shown to volunteer more, engage more with their families, and have a higher rate of overall happiness than those who are less religious or not religious at all 1 . Going one step further, those same people were shown to have a greater sense of hope, purpose and meaning in life, and mental well-being 2 . Christians who experience deep intimacy in their walk with God can surely attest to the hope and peace it brings. In Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) we read, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” There are so many things competing for our attention: smart phones, tablets, social media, TV, Netflix, emails, missed calls… the list goes on and on. Finding peace in the midst of this chaos doesn’t come from completing our to-do lists, but in surrendering that chaos and staying our minds on the Lord. When we embrace this Heavenly peace, we are more resilient to hardship—over 100 studies have shown that those who value their faith are less likely to suffer from issues such as depression, substance abuse, suicide, and hypertension 3 . The benefits of a vibrant spiritual life don’t end there: research also shows that it can boost your immune system, keeping you healthier overall. A 1997 study conducted by Duke University discovered that adults who regularly attend religious services have healthier immune systems than their non-religious counterparts 4 . While suffering from fewer colds is certainly appealing, it was also found that a deeper spiritual life led to increased life expectancy! Greater involvement in religious practices was consistently associated with longer length of life, regardless of education, health background, race, or sex 5 . In fact, deeply religious individuals live an average of seven years longer than those who are not—a gap as great as that between nonsmokers and those who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day 6 . Many of us already avoid smoking in an effort to save our health and prolong our lives, but how many of us consider our daily devotional time to be a life-lengthening practice? These results only confirm what we have known for thousands of years: that a close relationship with God brings peace, joy, and fulfilment in life where nothing else can. — Valerie Heaton is managing editor of Thrive Magazine.
thrive-magazine.ca thrive / 15 FINDING PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THIS CHAOS DOESN’T COME FROM COMPLETING OUR TO-DO LISTS, BUT IN SURRENDERING THAT CHAOS AND STAYING OUR MINDS ON THE LORD. FAMILY LIFE AND OVERALL HAPPINESS NOT HIGHLY RELIGIOUS GATHER WITH EXTENDED FAMILY AT LEAST MONTHLY 30% “VERY HAPPY” WITH WAY THINGS ARE GOING IN LIFE 29% 40% 47% “VERY SATISFIED” WITH FAMILY LIFE HIGHLY RELIGIOUS 67% 74% 1 Pew Research Center. (2016, 04 12). Pew Research Center. Retrieved from Religion in Everyday Life: http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/ uploads/sites/11/2016/04/Religion-in- Everyday-Life-FINAL.pdf 2 Byron R. Johnson, R. B. (2002, 1 1). Objective Hope—Assessing the Effectiveness of Faith-Based Organizations: A Review of the Literature. Retrieved from Manhattan Institute for Policy Research: https:// media4.manhattan-institute.org/pdf/ crrucs_objective_hope.pdf 3 ibid 4 Koenig HG, C. H. (1997). Attendance at religious services, interleukin-6, and other biological parameters of immune function in older adults. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 233-50. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/9565726 5 Byron R. Johnson, R. B. (2002, 1 1) (n 2) 6 Marripedia. (2017, 09 01). Effects of Religious Practice on Health. Retrieved from Marripedia: http://marripedia. org/effects_of_religious_practice_ on_health
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