The warmth of loving arms around you. The feeling of knowing that someone cares.
The calm assurance of safety and security that it brings. The emotional lift we feel.
There’s just something about the power of a hug.
When you receive a 20 second hug, your body releases a hormone and neurotransmitter called oxytocin. Increased levels of oxytocin (the bonding hormone) have been attributed to happiness and reduction of stress and anxiety. Oxytocin is nature’s anti-depressant and anti-anxiety.
Oxytocin is a neurochemical that actually speeds up the physical healing of wounds. Just a quick touch of the hand from someone who cares can cause this healing process to occur. Did you know that one-third of our five million touch receptors are centered in our hands? Inside our bodies is hemoglobin which carries oxygen to the tissues. Studies have shown that hemoglobin levels go up when we use meaningful touch.
Jesus even used the power of meaningful touch. He healed with a touch. He touched people while the Scribes and Pharisees never touched anyone. They wouldn’t touch people because they believed they would be defiled.
In Mark chapter 8, when Jesus healed the leper, we see that He was “...moved with compassion, He stretched out His hand and touched him,...“. It’s interesting that Jesus used the power of touch before He even healed him. Surely He could have just said, “Be healed”, and it would have been so. But instead, he showed COMPASSION first by extending his hand to touch him.
Jesus also used meaningful touch when He held and blessed the little children. Mark 10:16 says, “And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” He showed them meaningful touch BEFORE He blessed them. Can’t you just see this beautiful picture of Christ’s love and compassion. In the picture of my mind, I see Him giving them hugs too!
Hugging your spouse can give both people a sense of security. The wife feels loved and well protected. That everything else in the world might fall apart, but she knows there is always safety and trust in her husband’s arms. The husband feels loved and needed by his wife. He feels secure in his role as the leader and protector of his family.
Neglecting meaningful touch and hugs with your children can STARVE them of genuine acceptance. When a child does not feel a genuine love and acceptance, it can drive them to find that love and acceptance elsewhere. What a difference a hug can make! Hugging is just GOOD medicine!
I’ve heard it said that one needs four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and twelve for growth! Scientists have even said that hugging is a form of communication because it can say things for which you have no words.
Some people find it hard to give a hug, or to show meaningful touch. This could stem from the home in which you were raise. Maybe you didn’t experience a home that showed emotions well. But, there is ALWAYS time to change. There is ALWAYS room for improvement. You can make a difference in your life and in the life of another.
Go hug someone today!
Faith, as defined in general terms, is an allegiance to a duty or person, fidelity to ones promises, belief and trust in God, a firm belief in something of which there is no proof, and complete trust.
Over the course of this blog, we will explore together how each aspect of faith, or a lacking of faith, affects our lives in both good and bad ways.
It touches our salvation, our fulfillment, our relationships, our family, and our confidence to continue toward the goal that we have set before us; even in the face of adversity, all require faith. Increasing our “faith” will have positive effects on every part of our lives.
Faith, in all it’s forms, plays an important role and touches every aspect of our life. Without faith, we have no hope. Without faith, our relationships would suffer. Without faith, we would have no confidence in God and no hope for Heaven. We would be unable to completely place our entire life, hopes, and dreams in the hands of God.
The definition I am choosing to focus on today is faith as a belief and trust in God in the face of uncertainty.
We are definitely living in uncertain times. During these times of our life, we can do one of two things. We can live in constant fear - trying to make sense of trouble (which is an impossible task) OR we can accept what we don’t understand and place our trust in God in spite of the uncertainty.
Psalm 46 does a great job of proving that we can put our trust in God during times of uncertainty.
Verse 1 states that He is “our refuge and strength, a VERY PRESENT help in our troubles”. VERY PRESENT - He is in our presence and He is ready to help us in our time of need - in our troubles. “Therefore, we do not fear”, because of our faith in God. “When our earth is being shaken, mountains are looming in our way, and the waters of life roar about us”, the Lord is with us and He is our refuge.
Psalms 16:11 tells us that “in His presence there is fullness of joy”. He has promised to be in our presence in our times of need. Therefore, we will have joy, even in the uncertain times.
Psalms 46:10 is the most comforting for me when I am experiencing anxiety of situations out of my control. BE STILL! “Be still, and know that I am God”. Sit back, rest in His presence, and let your faith in God become active. Being still, means to not be anxious over worry. Not trying to figure our own way out of any situation or circumstance. This can be hard, especially in uncertainty, because we are constantly trying to figure out the problem and the resolution. And, when we cannot, we become a wreck!
Nevertheless, be still; let a stillness of rest cover your mind, your emotions, and your life. Tell it to God, then sit back and rest in His wisdom, His time, and His answer. God will be exalted in ALL problems of our life, in every situation that we encounter which seems larger than what we can handle. God will be exalted, because He, “the Lord of hosts is with us”. He is present.
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