HEALTH DevotionAL

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Phil. 4:8, NIV.

Did you know that . . .

• Socially active married people tend to live longer than less active separated, divorced, or single people? And happily married women have the strongest immune systems of all?
• Men who participate in social activities at least once a week outlive men who don't?
• Confiding in someone else can result in a significant improvement in immune-system function?
• Those men who were most pessimistic at age 25 had more severe illness during their 40s, 50s, and 60s?
• There is a relationship between psychological factors and susceptibility to colds—i.e., pessimists are more likely to get colds?
• Even thinking about love can raise the levels of salivary immunoglobulin A in some individuals?
• When patients were trained to focus on the positive aspects of their postsurgery hospital stay, they used only half as many painkillers and stayed in the hospital an average of two days less than others?

The brain and the immune system have a strong linkage. For example, Donald Robinson tells of a long-term study reported in the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet on 57 breast cancer victims that had undergone mastectomies. Seventy percent of the women who had a "fighting spirit" were alive 10 years later compared to only 20 percent of the women who "felt hopeless." Three fourths of those who merely accepted their diagnosis also died.

In 1987 Candace Pert, while at the National Institute of Mental Health, suggested a molecular equivalent of telephone lines between the brain and the immune system by which white blood cells receive messages directly from the brain to fight off disease invaders.

What message is your brain sending to your immune system? Is it any wonder that God inspired the apostle Paul to instruct us to think about things that were true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy?

Dear Lord, help me to focus on the positive and spend time with my friends and family.

Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.