FAY ROWE

Just recently my pastor asked me, and several others, to participate in recording videos for 21 days of Health Hacks — videos that would go on our church’s website and FaceBook page to encourage people who needed hope. I haven’t done mine yet, mostly because my lips have not calmed down yet from an overabundance of botox in my lower lip.

The botox was administered as a post-operative procedure to help normalize how my mouth moves. Well, it worked much too well; when it was first administered, the right side of my lips could not open more than a smidgeon. Something that was intended to help, did just the opposite!

Getting the botox was not a necessity. It was prompted by nothing more than vanity, and it turned out to be a self-inflicted embarrassment. Not my first self-inflicted problem, to be sure. Come to think of it, that’s what the requested Health Hacks are all about:

To keep us from unintentionally setting our bodies up for sickness.

In considering the Health Hacks the Bible offers, I found quite a few that medical science would consider to be effective, since, as they say, many of the prevalent ailments of our modern times stem from stress.

The stress they talk about seems to be ongoing stressful situations, not just one time events. Every day stress. Some sources of stress are inevitable and we can’t do anything about them, except manage our response to them. Some, we contribute to–albeit, unintentionally.

Every day, we either contribute to or alleviate stress in our lives by our words. Words that respond to other people, to situations, to our own feelings or performances. We rarely think that what we say to ourselves or others has anything to do with our health, but consider these:

“…the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body” (James 3:6).

“Whoso keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles,” (Provers 21:23).

“…the tongue of the wise is health.” (Proverbs 12:18).

“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones,” (Proverbs 16:24).

The Bible has much more to say about words, about the power of our words, about the fruit of our words, about how our words heal or destroy. Too many for me to ignore. Including this one:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer,” (Psalm 19:14).

David’s prayer might have been prayed because he knew, long ago, just how important his words were to the fulfillment of God’s good will in his life. Not a panacea, by any means, but important nevertheless. And I can definitely identify with his need for help. Maybe you, too?

You’ve probably heard the toast given with raised glass, “To your health!” It is intended as a blessing. Words that bring life, because words can have that effect.

Here’s a good Health Hack:

Speak kind and gentle; speak true and wise; speak life.