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Helping Christians with Negative Emotions
by Naomi Ball How does a Christian deal with negative emotions? How does a Christian deal with depression and depressive thoughts that will not go away, with out having to become defendant on drugs? Faith in God should make you always joyful, right? God is near to the broken hearted (Psalms 34:18). He wants you to be close, and to rely on Him, but He doesn't want you to be helpless. He provided help a long time ago. The Bible says that in the beginning when God created the world He created many plants that were good for food and good for healing. He gave Moses a recipe for a holy anointing oil (Exodus 30), and James commands that we call the elders and anoint with oil (James 5). Our bodies, our health, are absolutely connected to and affected by our emotions and our mental thought processes and so is our spiritual health. The three are connected and affected by the other. Spiritual healing is part of physical healing and is obviously part of emotional healing. Spiritually healing, contrary to most aromatherapy books, can only come from God through Jesus Christ. Spiritual healing will make us feel elated, on the other hand negative emotions can block our response to spiritually healing. However feeling elated, feeling cleansed, feeling close to God is not spiritually healing. God's forgiveness and love, Jesus' death and resurrection only can bring spiritually healing. Our emotions and thought processes are chemical and electrical processes and some times we need a chemical boost. Life can overwhelm us and make us feel like God is not near and does not care. At time like this that is perfectly acceptable to take advantage of the wonderful benefits of therapeutic essential oils from plants that God himself created. Many plants have chemical compounds that have powerful uplifting affect on our emotions. Essential oils can be calming, stimulating, promote feeling of self-love, promote courage, and relieve feelings of anxiety, to name just a few of the emotional benefits of various essential oils. Essential oils are steam distilled from various plants. These plant oils are highly concentrated plant essences and are good for healing the body and healing the emotions, but do not have the negative side affects that drugs have. Essential oils can have an immediate affect and can be safely be used for long periods of time. And with careful handling can be safely used on children, when they are feeling down, over anxious or having a two year old temper tantrum. There are a few safe-handling guidelines to follow, any book or web site on aromatherapy will tell what they are. If you are on antidepressants it is extremely important that you do not suddenly stop taking them. You need to talk to your doctor about gradually coming off them. For more information see http://www.drugawareness.org/ When you feel like life is overwhelming or you are feeling a little down say a prayer, sing a hymn and reach for a bottle of essential oil, it is a wonderful combination for overcoming negative emotions. September 2013 Naomi Ball is a certified aromatherapist and author of "The Aromatherapy Advocate a Christian Handbook" and "The Aromatherapy Advocate Home Study Course", both written from a Christian point of view. www.aromatherapyforchristians.com Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |