A Small Spark

Wrath, fury, rage — whatever you call it, anger is a powerful emotion. Unfortunately, it’s often an unhelpful one. Anger is a natural human experience, and sometimes there are valid reasons to get mad like feeling hurt by something someone said or did or experiencing frustration over a situation at work or home. But uncontrolled anger can be problematic for your personal relationships and for your health.

James says, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” (James 1:19) What a powerful statement from James, and so relevant today. James says, be a good listener and slow to open your mouth. Right now, everyone wants to be heard. Everyone wants to tweet, write something profound on Facebook, and comment on every post, article, etc. on the internet. But James says, slow down, take things in, and don’t express yourself so quickly. For the anger of man doesn’t accomplish what God wants to accomplish in each one of us. In other words, your anger can never make things right in God’s sight.

What James doesn’t say is not to get angry. Well-managed anger can be a useful emotion that motivates you to make positive changes. On the other hand, anger if it isn’t handled appropriately, may have destructive results for you and those closest to you. Uncontrolled anger can lead to arguments, physical fights, physical abuse, assault and self-harm.

James continues in Chapter 4. “What causes fights and quarrels? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves.” (James 4:1-2) Are there “fights and quarrels” in your life? If you’re not seeing eye to eye with someone, do what you can to set that relationship right. Some people hold on to hurts from the past and never learn to let them go. Eventually this anger and resentment controls them. 

Rick Warren offers this advice “For your own sake, learn from it, and then let it go.”

James proceeds by drawing comparisons between the tongue—the words we say—and other relatively small things which possess great power. Ships guided by small rudders, horses guided by small bits, forests set ablaze by tiny sparks. He paints these pictures to drive home his point that the tongue-such a small thing-has the potential to cause great damage.

Here’s a few strategies to keep anger at bay:

Check yourself. It’s hard to make smart choices when you’re in the grips of a powerful negative emotion. Rather than trying to talk yourself down from a cliff, avoid climbing it in the first place. Try to identify warning signs that you’re starting to get annoyed. When you recognize the signs, step away from the situation or try relaxation techniques to prevent your irritation from escalating.

Change the way you think. When you’re angry, it’s easy to feel like things are worse than they really are. Through a technique known as cognitive restructuring, you can replace unhelpful negative thoughts with more reasonable ones. Instead of thinking “Everything is ruined,” for example, tell yourself “This is frustrating, but it’s not the end of the world.”

Relax. Simple relaxation strategies, such as deep breathing and relaxing imagery, can help soothe angry feelings. If you practice one or more of these strategies often, it will be easier to apply them when angry feelings strike.

Improve your communication skills. People often jump to conclusions when they’re angry, and they can say the first (often unkind) thing that pops into their heads. Try to stop and listen before reacting. Then take time to think carefully about how you want to reply. If you need to step away to cool down before continuing the conversation, make a promise to come back later to finish the discussion.

Recognize (and avoid) your triggers. Give some thought to the things that make you mad. If you know you always get angry driving downtown at rush hour, take the bus or try to adjust your schedule to make the trip at a less busy time. If you always argue with your spouse at night, avoid bringing up contentious topics when you’re both tired. If you’re constantly annoyed that your child hasn’t cleaned his room, shut the door so you don’t have to look at the mess.

You can’t completely eliminate angry feelings. But you can make changes to the way those events affect you, and the ways in which you respond. By making the effort to keep your anger in check, you and the people close to you will be happier for the long run. Remember, “A man who learns to control his tongue will have gained self-control over his entire body.”

Sowing & Reaping

When Paul writes to the Galatian church, “Whatever one sows, that will he also reap,” they would have understood the process of sowing, the patience required for growth, and the joy when crop was available for reaping. Whether you believe in God or not, the principle of sowing and reaping applies to all. This is a law of life.

All actions have consequences, whether positive or negative. Right now, everyone is planting seeds through actions or decisions that will one day grow into a harvest that they will reap. Life is full of choices. And we make all kind of choices in life. What we don't realize is that we make choices early in life that go with us for the rest of our life. It becomes part of our character. Early in life we'll hear things, we see things, we experience things that we think are in our past and gone. The truth is, all we see, all we hear, all we experience is still there.

So, here's what Paul says, he says, “Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.”

We have to ask ourselves the question, what kind of life do I want to live? For example, in the future, what do I want to look like in the years to come? Because once you start planting a certain kind of seed more than likely you're going to keep on allowing it to be planted. We are people of patterns and habits. Some of these are good, but some are bad. Regardless of the habit good or bad, seed is being sown and that seed will yield a return.

Flour + Water + Salt

“Bread has existed in some form for over 12,000 years, especially amongst the poor. Flour and water. What could be simpler? Even today, grain represents 65% of all agriculture. Fruits and vegetables only 6%. Ancient Greek peasants dipped their stale, measly bread in wine for breakfast. And how did Jesus teach us to pray if not to beg for our daily bread?”

- The Menu

We love bread. It’s a staple food for all of society. Bread is mentioned at least 492 times in the Bible beginning in Genesis and continuing right through Revelation with a variety of meanings and symbolism. Bread is a symbol of God's life-sustaining provision. Everyday for 40 years the Israelites ate Mana (bread God provided from heaven) while exiled in the desert of Egypt. The first appearance of bread, in the Bible, is in Genesis 3:19 as the LORD is explaining the consequences of “the fall” to Adam. He says, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It’s sombering, but God lets man know that he will live on bread until his death. But then in Deuteronomy 8, Moses wrote that, “Man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” 

Jesus spoke of himself as, “The bread of life.” John chapter 1 mentions how “in the beginning” the “word” was with God and the “word” was God. He culminates in verse 14 as he states, “And the word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John understands that this Word which man lives by from Deuteronomy 8 is Jesus, the Messiah. He is the Word of God and He became flesh. This understanding of “the word, the flesh, and the bread” comes together in Jesus' testimony of Himself in John 6:48-51. 

“I am the bread of life… I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Jesus is the Word of God. He is the Word made flesh. He is the Messiah in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Our answer, in the end, is set up in true Hebraic fashion with this poetic play on words. What two things do men live by? “Bread” and “bread.” Our bodies eat, only to die, the bread of the ground. Our spirits eat, to live forever, Jesus – the Word of God and the Bread of Life.

You Are What You Eat

In 1826, the French lawyer Brillat-Savarin wrote, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” The food one eats has a bearing on one's state of mind and health. Eating a poor-quality diet high in cheap food is linked to a higher risk of obesity, depression, digestive issues, heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and early death. Food is fuel for our bodies. But it doesn’t just give us energy, it can also impact our moods. Knowing this, how can we make better food choices?

The Bible has provided us with a grocery list of items that are healthy. Spices and herbs were used to flavor bread, cakes, meats, soups, stews, and were taken as digestive aids in biblical times. Vegetables packed with nutrients, fiber, and protein powered the people of the Bible. Healthy grains were a primary staple, along with seafood. However, only certain fish and other seafood were suitable for eating. According to Leviticus 11:9, edible seafood had to have fins and scales. Shellfish was prohibited. Today we know that fish such as Tuna, Salmon, Cod, Red Snapper, and many others are high in protein and healthy omega fats, which can help reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and provide many other health benefits. Along with bread, fish, meat, olives, grapes, and other fruits and vegetables, dairy products were important foods of the Bible. They provided great variety and significant nutrition to the ancient world. Fresh, raw products from grass-fed cows, sheep, and goats constituted the dairy portion of the biblical diet.

Food affects our mood in so many different ways, and our gut is primarily responsible for how we feel. Our gut or gastrointestinal tract (also known as our second brain) is home to billions of bacteria. The food we eat directly affects our gut health (or the balance of good and bad bacteria) and influences the production of neurotransmitters (our body’s chemical messengers that are constantly carrying messages from the gut to the brain).

Ninety percent of serotonin receptors — our mood regulators that influence our biological and neurological processes such as aggression, anxiety, cognition, mood, and sleep — are located in the gut. So, for example, when we eat something sweet or sugary, it produces dopamine (the feel-good hormone) and serotonin (the happiness hormone). The neurotransmitters carry those chemicals to the brain, and we feel happy.

In a literal sense, we all can agree that it’s true that ‘you are what you eat’. Nutrients from the foods we eat provide the foundation of the structure, function, and wholeness of every little cell in our body, from the skin and hair to the muscles, bones, digestive and immune systems. We may not feel it, but we’re constantly repairing, healing and rebuilding our body. Food provides us with energy and the raw materials to carry out important bodily functions like clearing out waste, staving off illness and keeping your heart beating. Life is busy and you can’t afford to be weighed down by poor food decisions, so fuel your body with the right foods, and it will reward you for making healthy choices. Healthy food leads to a healthy body, which, in turn, increases your odds of a longer, happier life.

Just Breathe

We breathe in and out approximately 22,000 times a day. That breath supplies our bodies with oxygen. Breathing, more often than not, happens subconsciously. However, we can also be intentional with our breathing. Breathing through your nose verse breathing through the mouth is a better practice. When we breathe through our nose it activates our parasympathetic nervous system. This is a network of nerves that relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger. It also helps run life-sustaining processes, like digestion, during times when you feel safe and relaxed. On the other hand, mouth breathing lowers tissue oxygenation, increases our heart rate, results in a higher respiration rate and “vertical” respiration which is associated with health problems.

Poor breathing is associated with poor posture, poor concentration, ADHD, even poor athletic performance. Scientific studies have found a correlation between the number of breaths per minute and an individuals lifespan.

Not only is our breathing important for our physical health, but it also impacts our spiritual health as well. Breathwork can allow you to move beyond your mind and body and help you connect to your inner self. Many people who practice breathwork experience spiritual awakenings and the ultimate state of mediation and relaxation. Dr. Andrew Weil, the founder and Director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, provides the following breathing technique:

1) Sit up straight.

2) Place the tip of your tongue up against the back of your front teeth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process.

3) Breathe in silently through your nose to the count of four.

4) Hold your breath to the count of seven.

5) Exhale through your mouth to the count of eight, making an audible "whoosh" sound.

6) That completes one full breath. Repeat the cycle another three times, for a total of four breaths.

Breath is life. It defines us. It announces our entry into this world and marks our exit from the same. Yet few people learn how to breathe in a way that allows the body to function the way it should. BREATHE. Every breath you take is a reset and you can do it anywhere, anytime, whether you are seated, standing, or lying down. BREATHE. It will alter your blood chemistry, provide profound health benefits and deep relaxation, and nourish all your organs, muscles, and your brain. JUST BREATHE.

YOLO

YOLO (acronym meaning “You Only Live Once”) is a term that refers to a carefree, do whatever you want attitude toward living. Along the same lines as the Latin carpe diem (‘seize the day’), it is a call to live life to its fullest extent. The hashtag YOLO can be found throughout social media. And while it may be true that “you only live once,” that fact should cause us to live carefully in the sight of God. Our days on this earth are numbered, so there’s nothing inherently wrong with trying new things or even taking calculated risks. But living as though your life is merely the sum of your experiences is short-sighted. Our actions, for good or evil, have lasting significance and carry with them consequences. Galatians 6:8 tells us, “Those who live only too please their sinful nature will harvest decay and death. But those who live too please the Spirit will have everlasting life.” What a great reminder of how precious our days are and how we must embrace each of those days with prudence and not foolishness.

Sold for Soup

What’s in a name? When playwright William Shakespeare asked the question, “What's in a name?” in Romeo and Juliet, he was referring to the idea that names themselves are a convention to distinguish things or people, but themselves do not have any worth or meaning. For us the name Sold for Soup carries with it a broad scope of meaning. In the book of Genesis we read that Jacob offered to give Esau a bowl of stew in exchange for his birthright (the right to be recognized as firstborn) and Esau agreed (Gen. 25:29-34). Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. How often do we exchange our spiritual and physical well-being for a temporary relief from stress, fear, pain, etc. There’s a saying, “Your greatest wealth is health.” Because your health is your greatest possession, why would you exchange it for something of insignificant value? In the Sold for Soup podcast, we will address the intersection between your spiritual and physical health. Examining the links between the Word of God and what it teaches us about living a full and healthy lifestyle.