By Veronica Mackey

Every day, life presents opportunities for us to worry, fret or get angry.  The fast-paced world that we live in does not allow much time for us to catch our breath before the next offense occurs.

Our negative emotional reactions can wreak havoc in our bodies.  Every thought has a biochemical equivalent.  Our brains communicate directly with our bodies, and vice versa, through chemical messengers known as neuropeptides.  Deeply rooted emotions that are not dealt with will eventually show up as disease.

Take a look at how you spend your life.

That’s why it’s important to pay attention to your mind-body connection.  When you look at your mind, body and emotions as a single unit, you can see more clearly how one part affects the other.

What are you thinking?  Are your thoughts fueling you or depleting your strength?  What do you need to embrace or let go of?  With God, all things are possible.  Still, our bodes limit us.  They tire, pick up viruses, and lust after things which aren’t always healthy.

 Dig a little deeper.

When you’re sick, it is human nature to find out what is wrong.  You may see a doctor, do research on the Internet, or compare notes with a friend who has similar symptoms.  But don’t stop there.  Ask yourself what is going on emotionally or spiritually.  A pain reliever can easily get rid of a headache, but if you want to get better—not just feel better—try to figure out why you’re feeling anxious or resentful in the first place.

Forgive.

Forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling.  This is where most people get stuck.  They keep waiting for their negative feelings to subside, and they don’t feel they can forgive a person until that happens.  Wounds run deep, and we may not ever feel the same way about someone who has hurt us.  But that does not mean we are incapable of forgiving.  You have forgiven when you no longer talk about the offense.

“We delay the process of healing because we want someone to know how much we are hurting.  We pull the bandage off our wound.  And it cannot heal properly because we continually pull it off,” said Pastor Gregory Dickow of Gregory Dickow Ministries.  “If you just care about your feelings, you’ll talk about it.  If you care about your future, you’ll stop talking about it.”

The next time you are tempted to feed your emotional pain, ask yourself what it will cost you.  It could mean cancer, a heart attack, or worse.  Is it worth it?    Even if you think your abuser deserves to die, you deserve to live.