Thursday: Percentage of Diseases Rooted in Mind and Emotion
WEEK 30
THURSDAY
PERCENTAGE OF DISEASES ROOTED IN MIND AND EMOTION
Psalm 6:2-7
We saw yesterday that mind and emotion can produce disease. A gynecologist said to me, “Probably 90 percent of diseases are either caused by, or at least affected by, mind and emotion.” Another doctor put it this way, “Apart from contagious diseases and malignancies, all the rest are caused by mind and emotion.”
The effect of emotions is vividly seen in Daniel in these passages: “The king’s mood changed immediately, and he was deeply disturbed. He felt weak, and his knees were shaking” (5:6). Again: “Now as for how I, Daniel, felt about this: My thoughts disturbed me greatly. My mood darkened considerably” (7:28). “Then I, Daniel, was overwhelmed and felt sick for days. When I finally got up and went about the king’s business, I remained troubled by the vision and couldn’t understand it” (8:27). “So I was left alone to see this great vision all by myself. All my strength left me. My energy was sapped, and I couldn’t stay strong” (10:8). “My lord, the vision bothered me deeply, and I couldn’t stay strong during it. So how can I, my lord’s servant, speak with you, my lord? Even now there’s no strength in me, and I can hardly breathe (10:16-17).
Human nature in all ages, in all climes, is the same. A heart specialist said to me, “Of all heart diseases 75 percent are caused by mind and emotions.” A director of music in a church revealed this, “I didn’t know whether I had an ulcer or cancer, or both. But when the pastor was moved, I was well.” The inner tensions upset her whole system. A prominent pastor was a lawyer before he entered the ministry; he told me that for ten years before he decided to go into the ministry, he was ill—ill from indecision. The moment he decided to go into the ministry, he was well and has been ever since. The indecision threw functional disturbance into his system. A commanding officer was harsh and tyrannical. He said to a group, “It’s all bunk about getting stomach ulcers from temper. I never had any ulcers.” And a man in the group replied, “How about your adjutant?” Wrong thinking and emotions do produce spiritual chaos in and around one and, therefore, physical chaos.
O Spirit of God, help me to be the kind of person who shall be healing to myself and others. Help me by word and thought and emotion to spread health. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: No ulcerated spirit within me shall cause ulcers to myself or others.