Title: How to find joy in the heart
Contents
Proverbs 17:22 A happy heart is good medicine, but a troubled spirit dries up the bones.
The saying that the joy of the heart is a medicine means that if you have the joy of the heart, it becomes a medicine to cure the diseases of the body. Conversely, worrying of the soul dries up the bones.
Nowadays, the word 'laugh therapy' is circulating a lot in our society. It is said that laughter cures various diseases. There are laughter therapists, and there are places that teach laughter therapists. There are also seminarians who try to identify ‘laugh therapy’ biblically.
This is the story I learned through Dr.
In America, there is a man called 'Norman Cousins' who is called the father of laughter. This person is an editor for the famous Saturday Review in the United States, and while on a business trip to Russia, he contracted a disease called “ankylosing spondylitis”. This disease is a kind of rheumatoid arthritis, and it is said that inflammation between the bones occurs, gradually hardening the bones like concrete, and eventually leading to death. Norman Carsons contracted this disease at the age of 50, and while he was desperate, a book was in his library, a book called 'Stress of the Life' by Dr. Hans Selye of the University of Montreal. have read However, among the contents of this book, I came across an article that said, “Merry Heart is Good Medicine!” That is the message of today's text. “Proverbs 17:22 A happy heart is good medicine, but a troubled spirit dries up the bones.”
From then on, Norman Carsons was determined to please his heart. Therefore, he decided to laugh and have a good heart as much as possible. Then one day, the aching pain began to subside in his body, which was suffering from ‘ankylosing myelitis’. Then one morning when I woke up, one of my hardened fingers was stretched out. He was so happy that he called his wife and said, “Honey. My fingers are stretched out.” Then the wife ran out, grabbed her husband's finger, and cried, "Honey, what's the matter? What's wrong with your fingers being stretched out? Guys, Daddy's fingers are stretched out." So the kids ran out and grabbed their dad's finger and cried, "Dad, what's the matter? Daddy's fingers are stretched out, what's the matter?" I said, "Don't cry! You have to laugh to open it.” Therefore, the whole family continued to laugh for this person's treatment... and after a while it was said that he was completely healed.
Norman Carsons was so intrigued that he went to Harvard and Stanford and started doing research on laughter. He did research on laughter and health and published a thesis. He did not even go to medical school, but became a professor at the medical school in the field of laughter therapy.
There are also examples of the opposite.
18th-century English physician John Hunter - He was a pioneer in surgery and was the physician of King George III, who suffered from angina. He was a talented doctor who was said to be the rage of his time, but his anger was a problem. He felt that his health was getting worse and worse because of this. Therefore, he said, "My life is at the hands of some thug who drives me with passion."
But after some time he got so angry during a meeting at a hospital in London that he went out the door and was found dead in the next room. People who are well-fed are four times more likely to die prematurely than those who don't.
For our own health, we should always take good care of our hearts so that they always overflow with joy. So how can we make our hearts overflow with joy?
% To keep our hearts happy at all times
1. I know that smiling can also help.
There are many books on laughter therapy these days. Some people specialize in laughter therapy. Participating in laughter programs run by these people would also be helpful.
Also, watching TV programs that make you laugh, such as 'Laughs', 'Gag Concert', and 'Gag', will be of some help. A show like this would be far more helpful than watching a drama where depressed people get annoyed and angry.
However, although this has some effect, it is not a fundamental solution. Because the problem is still scattered, what will happen if you force yourself to smile? Because the problems of this world cannot be solved simply by smiling.
2. Having a positive mindset.
If you have a positive mindset, you don't force yourself to smile, but because you see the world with a positive eye, you feel more relaxed.
Let go of the negative thoughts of “I can’t” and “I can do it too.” Let's do it!” to have a positive mind.
Rather than trying to run away from the problem, it is challenging the problem head-on. With a positive mindset, modern-day Joo-Young Jung has gone from being a rice delivery man to becoming a global conglomerate. As one of his many examples, he met a great difficulty in the last dam of the Seosan reclaimed land project. The tides were too strong for even modern equipment to handle. In a situation that seemed impossible, he came up with the idea of blocking water by mobilizing an abandoned tanker, and he succeeded in implementing it, saving 29 billion won in construction cost. Seosan reclaimed land is a reclamation project that is 33 times the size of Yeouido.
David, the hero of faith, was such a person. As a possessor of positive faith, when a lion or a bear appeared and asked for his flock, he relied on God and fearlessly rushed to win the fight. Therefore, as long as God helped him, he believed that even Goliath could be defeated, and he fought boldly and defeated me.
Jesus said to the father of the child who asked, “If you can, please heal my demon-possessed son.” Nothing is impossible for him who believes” (Mark 9:23). It is saying that problems can be solved only if you have positive faith that the Lord can help you.
3. It is entrusting your cares and worries to the Lord through prayer.
What are the things that darken our minds in the world?
There is no worry-free time in this world from children to teenagers, youth, adults, and old age.
As a child, you may have a number of concerns that you can't help but passively have due to problems your parents have.
When you are young, your worries increase. There are sexual problems, career problems, and appearance problems are also serious. Worried about being fat, worried about being skinny, worried about being tall, worried about being short, and some people worrying about ugly fingers.
When you are young, your sexual and career, employment, and appearance problems become more serious, and marriage problems arise. When you reach adulthood, the issue of livelihood becomes a serious issue right away, and there are many concerns such as taking care of parents and children.
Aren't you worried about your old age? As you get older, your health problems become more serious, and the problems your children have will come to you as they are. The problem of powerlessness comes from the loss of physical and economic abilities.
As we go through life, we always face problems. Everyone has problems. There are places where people without problems gather. It is a cemetery.
However, nothing can be solved by worrying about people.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:23, “Which of you is anxious, so that he can increase his stature by one cubit?” And again in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow! Tomorrow will worry about tomorrow. One day of suffering is enough for one day!”
The Apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties on the Lord, for he counsels you.”
I must cast all my anxieties on the Lord who works all things together for good. And I have to go boldly, believing that the Lord will help me.
This does not mean that we should take the matter irresponsibly and pretend we are ignorant. It is a message to pray and go to the Lord. Jacob had a problem with his brother Esau, and the problem was solved through prayer by wrestling with an angel at the Jabbok River ferry. Hannah also went to the temple with the problem of not being able to conceive by human strength and prayed all night before God, and the problem was solved.
Jesus is the Lord who gives us peace. In John 14:1, the Lord said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, because you believe in God, believe also in me.” In John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. For things do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” Please pray to the Lord for peace of mind.
4. It is believing in the providence of God who works together for good.
The Apostle Paul said, “Romans 08:28 We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.” In other words, we believe in the fact that God provides His people with good conditions even if they encounter bad things in the world.
Many people of faith, such as Joseph, David, Daniel, and Paul, faced great difficulties in the world, but rather went on the path of success through them.
Therefore, when we encounter adversity, we interpret that adversity as an opportunity for God's blessing. In general, when faced with adversity, people often think that they are 'unlucky'. Furthermore, there are many cases where we think that God is not helping us and we stumble on our own. However, please believe in God's providence of working together for good. Let us not be discouraged when we encounter adversity, but rather consider it an opportunity for blessing.
Paul and Silas were caught and imprisoned by the people of Philippi for healing a woman possessed by a demon while preaching in the Philippi area. I was beaten a lot, and my whole body was hurt. However, Paul did not lose heart in such a situation and sang hymns and prayed in prison. At this point, something amazing happened. The earthquake opened the prison doors, and the handcuffs and locks were released. God is pleased with those who do not lose heart.
5. To have the joy of salvation.
The privilege of being a Christian is salvation, which non-Christians do not know and cannot have. It is a wonderful privileged grace that only us Christians have.
Lazarus, who has been saved, is much better than a rich man. We, who have been saved by faith, are much more blessed than the heads of the largest corporations in our country. The eternal life we have is the most precious gift that no money in the world can buy.
We should not be discouraged if we do not have enough money or suffer a little in the world even though we have received the tremendous grace of salvation. We must have the awareness that we are the happy people who enjoy the most amazing grace of salvation. And with this awareness, we can always live happily in this world. End.