Spiritual Roots of Diseases by Art Mathias / Wellspring Ministries - Alaska

For some, the thought that there is a connection between their thoughts and a disease is hard to accept. I would like to explain the validity of this concept from three points of view: personal experience, medicine/psychology and Scripture. Medicine, psychology and Scripture are in agreement.

A spiritual root for a disease is defined in Christian terms as a sin that actually causes the disease. This sin can be our personal sin, the sins of others or the sin that exists because this is a fallen, cursed world.

Personal Experience

Please read my testimony* and that of many others* that is listed on this site. In my testimony you will see how my diseases were directly related to my fears and bitterness that I did not even know I had. There are also many other testimonies that tell a similar story.
Additionally, literally hundreds of studies confirm that negative emotions suppress the immune system. When our immune system is suppressed then any disease can take over. These studies also confirm that positive emotion enhance the immune system.
There is an entire discipline within psychology, called Psychoneuroimmunology, that studies the interaction or interrelations of emotions and behaviors and how they affect the endocrine or hormonal system and the immune system. Psychology teaches that our psychological state (the way we choose to respond to stress) creates a central nervous system response (electrical), an endocrine system response (hormonal), and a behavior change that may result in an immune system change that causes disease susceptibility.

In my book, In His Own Image*, many of these studies are referenced and demonstrate from medicine, psychology and Scripture the connection between negative emotions and disease. How to recognize these emotions and how to have victory over them is covered in Biblical Foundations of Freedom*.

Scripture

To prove the connection between disease and sin from Scripture let me simply quote a few verses.
Proverbs 4:23: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Proverbs 14:30: “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.”
Proverbs 16:24: “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
Proverbs 23:7: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...”

Our bones produce the cells of our immune system. Pleasant words are sweet to the soul and health to our bones. A broken spirit or negative words will destroy our immune system. Medicine agrees with Scripture. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” We need to remember that our words have the power of life and death for not only ourselves, but also to our loved ones.  

If marked with a * please go on  www.akwellspring.com