Emotional Fitness- a concern.
2015 survey in Europe : Fitness industry In Europe---Euro26.8 Billion, US- Euro 16.9 Billion- Total market value reached for Fitness industry – as no 1 sport activity. Target for 2025 – is to have 80 million members.Penetration rate- 7.4% per annum.
The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies supports and promotes evidence-based health policy-making through comprehensive and rigorous analysis of health systems in Europe. It brings together a wide range of policy-makers, academics and practitioners to analyse trends in health reform, drawing on experience from across Europe to illuminate policy issues.The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies is a partnership between the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, the Governments of Belgium, Finland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, the Veneto Region of Italy, the European Investment Bank, the World Bank, the London School of Economics and Political Science and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical medicine.
It appears that CEE countries have seen a decline in population mental health, along with increasing rates of alcohol use disorders, violence and suicide. Data also show a trend towards increasing absenteeism and early retirement due to mental illness (particularly depression) across Europe for both men and women.Rise in Heart disease, Cancer, The most common cardiovascular disease (CVD) is ischaemic heart disease (IHD),Diabetes, HIV(more through heterosexual ), TB, Domestic Home accidents. Drug use high, cocaine. Highest Alcohol consumption in the world.
It also stated ," Decline in Christianity. Increase in Mental illness and other sickness."
An emotionally fit person is one who can adapt to changing circumstances with constructive reactions(Mat 26:50) and who can enjoy living(Heb12:2), loving others and working productively(John5:17). Not to be overwhelmed by anxiety, grief or guilt. Why do we loose our control and there is an emotional imbalance in our character at times.
1)The reason is the wisdom which we had is not sufficient enough to overcome that particular situation. Or the wisdom we had is over and has fallen short to face that situation.If we had that wisdom , what would be our attitude in a situation ?
For eg: If in a given situation we see our child going thru pain ,hurt after playing outdoors. We try to rebuke & warn him. Whereas in a given situation a Doctor, would deal it with total ease and peace. Why? Difference in the wisdom we had & the doctor had. Doctor did not panic as he enjoyed the wisdom he carried to resolve your child's injury. Whereas we as parents didn't have the wisdom that the doc had.
Wisdom will give us a sense of pride, mastery & a grip.Once this wisdom is gained , our emotional fitness increases.
What are signs of an emotionally Fit person?
We will start
-Communicating well
-Listen attentively
-Sharing experience, both good and bad- will be one of the joys of living.
-Respect & appreciate the Individuality of all others
Jesus Displayed all those attributes.Gods wisdom is like wise , if we master over it ,it will increase our emotional fitness.
2)The failure of Adam and Eve in Eden was primarily a failure of faith. Faith is the total leaning of the human personality on God, in total confidence in His perfect wisdom, love and power. Satan suggested to Eve that there was a flaw in God's wisdom in not allowing them to eat of that tree. God had not given Adam any reason why the tree was forbidden. Faith never needs to have a reason for obeying God. It is our intellect that demands to know the reason first. Obedience to God must always be the obedience of faith, not the obedience of reason.
Paul said that he had been called "to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles" (Rom.1:5). He also said that the "preaching of Jesus Christ had been made known to all the nations, leading to the obedience of faith."(Rom.16:25, 26)
What is the biggest enemy of our Faith ? Our intellect is the enemy of faith, as is clear from Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart (not `head') and do not depend on your own intellect." The wisdom of God is hidden from the clever and the intelligent and revealed by the Spirit to those who simply believe like little babes. Jesus said, "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes."(Mt.11:25).
When intellect increased , Gods wisdom says
1Cor2:7-9 “7 The wisdom I proclaim is God's secret wisdom, which is hidden from human beings, but which he had already chosen for our glory even before the world was made. 8 None of the rulers of this world knew this wisdom. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
The intellect is a good servant but a bad master; and so its proper God appointed place is as the servant of the spirit in man - the spirit itself being subject to the Holy Spirit.(Do you depend on servant or your husband ?) Do we depend on the servant called intellect or our master called Holy spirit. Because we think we have to work something to achieve our results.
God gave Adam no reason as to why he could not eat of the forbidden tree, because He wanted to develop Adam's faith in Him. And this is the first area where God tests us too. Can we obey Him even when we cannot understand why He calls us to do something? What about when God calls us to do something that our reason tells us is unnecessary?
When Jesus asked Peter to step out of the boat and to walk on the water ,that command was contrary to everything that Peter's reason told him. But if he had followed reason, he would never have experienced that miracle. One could quote many such instances from the Scriptures. And here lies the reason for the powerlessness of many Christians and why many believers never experience the supernatural workings of God in their lives. They live by reason and not by faith. Faith is also a total confidence in God's love. Satan suggested to Eve that God did not love them sufficiently and that this was why He had kept that lovely fruit out of bounds for them. If Eve had been living by faith and not by reason, she would have replied, "Well, Satan, I don't understand why God has told us not to eat of that tree. But I am certain of one thing - that God loves us intensely; and so I am sure that He will never withhold any good thing from us. So, if he has forbidden this fruit, there must be a very good reason for it, that has our good in view." That would have been the answer of faith. But instead she fell for the Devil's lie. It is only the shield of faith in God's perfect love for us that "can extinguish every flaming missile of the Evil One." (Eph.6:16).
All discouragement and depression are the result of living by reason and not by faith. All anxiety and fear also have their roots in the same cause. God allows us to be tested - to be tempted to doubt His love, when He withdraws from us the `feelings' of His manifest presence with us - so that we can be strong in faith and thus come to the place of maturity where He can fulfill His purposes through us. To live by faith is to believe that every commandment of God has come from a heart of perfect love that desires the very best for us. When God gave the Israelites the ten commandments, Moses told them, "God has come to test you" (Exod.20:20). It says in Deuteronomy 33:2,3, "At God's right hand there was a fiery Law for them. Indeed (this proves that) He loves the people". Would they believe that this fiery law was a proof of God's love for them? That was the test. Where Eve failed to trust God, the Israelites also failed and they too disobeyed the commandments. But it is just here that Jesus overcame. He lived by faith. Every temptation that Satan brought to Him in the wilderness was refuted by the simple reply, "It is written.....". Jesus lived in obedience to every word of God. God's Word was given in perfect love for man and Jesus obeyed it in faith. Thus He became a Forerunner for us.