Can adherence to Christian principles help suffering patients?

 

Hello again, welcome back! We have been exploring the exciting topic of scripture and how adherence to the Christian principles of daily living (prayer, praise, fellowship, receiving Biblical teaching and service) enhance a person's wellbeing (Acts 2:42,47). In prior blogs we have reported our findings in the general healthy population, but can the medically ill also improve their wellbeing through Christian living?

 

Adherence to Christian principles can indeed help suffering patients in several ways. Here are a few key points:

1. Emotional and Spiritual Support: Christian principles often emphasize the importance of community, prayer, and faith, which can provide emotional and spiritual support to patients. This support can help patients feel less isolated and more hopeful.
2. Holistic Care: Incorporating Christian ethics into healthcare can promote a holistic approach to patient care, addressing not just physical symptoms but also emotional, social, and spiritual needs.
3. Compassionate Care: Christian teachings often stress compassion and empathy, which can enhance the quality of care provided by healthcare professionals. This can lead to better patient outcomes and a more comforting experience for those who are suffering.
4. Ethical Decision-Making: Christian principles can guide ethical decision-making in healthcare, ensuring that patients are treated with dignity and respect. This can be particularly important in end-of-life care and other sensitive situations.

We examined this question in a cross-sectional survey of patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension (https://teleiosresearch.com/religious-adherence-glaucoma/). We evaluated self-reported religious adherence to specific basic activities and knowledge of faith and personal comfort. This specific analysis was limited to self-professed Christians. 

 

The survey included 248 patients from one clinical practice in Charleston, SC, and showed that those who were adherent to activities intended to create religious maturity (drawing encouragement from other church members, reading Scripture, or encouraging others to have faith) and had at least a basic knowledge about their faith, demonstrated greater comfort related to their illness and treatment. Specifically, comfort was manifested as a positive attitude towards their disease, a better ability to cope with their symptoms, and a belief that God was concerned about their diagnosis and helped with their treatment.  

 

When the findings were further analyzed by assessing those subjects who were most 'adherent' compared to those who were least adherent, an even greater separation between groups was observed with respect to comfort. This finding may indicate that the more serious a person is about the practice of their religion, the greater sense of wellbeing they may derive from it.  

 

This study suggested that Christian practice may assist patients in better coping with their disease and that it may possibly increase the quality of their lives. Overall, integrating Christian principles into patient care can contribute to a more supportive and compassionate healthcare environment. 

 

Thanks for visiting. I hope you will return next week for further discussion about the practical use of the Bible in daily life. 

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email – info@teleiosresearch.com

Website – http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

 

Disclaimer – This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

Serving others may benefit your wellbeing!

Today, let’s examine ways in which the Bible helps us with our daily life and wellbeing. Last week, we explored how adherence to basic Christian principles of daily living, such as prayer, praise, fellowship, receiving Biblical teaching, and outreach (Acts 2:42,47) can be a tool we use to enhance personal wellbeing. Now let’s focus on one aspect of these principles, personal service. Serving others can have a profound impact on both the giver and the receiver. 

 

Teleios recently evaluated the effect of personal service on wellbeing at Grace Community Church (https://teleiosresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/CV-TELEIOS-GCC-II-CMHJ-2013.pdf). We surveyed 309 adults in two services on one Sunday.

 

The survey showed that individuals who routinely participated in a community or church-based service program, compared to those who did not, had better wellbeing scores in contentment, peace, joy, purpose and community acceptance. Wow!  Who wouldn’t want that? Additionally, people who served had a better global wellbeing score (average of seven questions together) than those who did not serve.

 

Interestingly, the study showed the benefit of service might occur with as little as just one hour a week helping others!  The benefit was even greater when people served up to 6 hours per week. In addition, the perceived benefit of the service did not depend on the type of service, whether in the church or in non-church-sponsored community service. 

 

That leads us to ask why personal service would help wellbeing. Personal service can significantly enhance your wellbeing in several ways:

1. Emotional Satisfaction: Helping others can lead to a sense of accomplishment and joy. Knowing you’ve made a positive impact can boost your mood and overall happiness.
2. Stress Reduction: Engaging in acts of kindness can lower stress levels. It shifts your focus away from your own worries and helps you gain perspective on your own life.
3. Social Connections: Serving others often involves interacting with people, which can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. Building these connections can provide a strong support network.
4. Increased Self-Esteem: When you help others, it can improve your self-worth and confidence. Seeing the positive effects of your actions can reinforce a positive self-image.
5. Physical Health: Some studies suggest that volunteering and helping others can lead to better physical health, including lower blood pressure and a longer lifespan.
6. Sense of Purpose: Engaging in meaningful activities can give your life a greater sense of purpose and direction, which is crucial for mental and emotional wellbeing.

 

Have you ever experienced any of these benefits from helping others?

 

Thank you for visiting today. We are honored that you take time to read this post. We hope you will join us again next week!

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email – info@teleiosresearch.com

Website – http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

 

 

Disclaimer – This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

 

Do You Have Peace?

 

 

Do you have personal peace - peace with God, peace with family and friends, peace of mind? Peace is one of the great quests of mankind! For those who know God through faith, personal peace is mentioned as one of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) that he desires us to have. 

 

Is it true? Can somebody who is a Christian have personal peace? We explored this topic in a study performed in Bartlesville, OK, at Grace Community Church (https://teleiosresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/CV-TELEIOS-GCC-I-CTCP-2013.pdf). On one Sunday, at two services, we asked the adult population to complete a questionnaire regarding different aspects of their wellbeing including peace as well as their adherence to the practice of their faith. 

 

How did we define adherence to faith? From the Bible, we delineated the following as ‘adherence to faith’ if: they proclaimed to be a Christian through personal faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross as a free gift of salvation; they were secure in their salvation; and they frequently utilized the five tools to maturity in their lives (prayer, praise, faith, reaching out and growing in knowledge of scripture) (Acts 2:42,47; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23-26; 1 Peter 1:4-5; John 10:27-30).

 

The results of the survey showed that on a visual analog scale of 0-6 the average level of peace was 1.8 for the entire congregation (0 being most and 6 being least) - not bad! However, when we separated the congregation into groups based on adherence to faith, there was a highly significant difference between groups, with the more adherent group having greater peace! 

 

What explains the finding? Well, we don’t know for certain, but four potential reasons come to mind. 

·       First, the practice of Christianity causes us to focus on a higher being that has purposes higher than our own. This focus may make help take our mind away from our own anxious thoughts. 

·       Second, the adherence to the practice of Christianity provides for prayer to an accepting great high priest, Jesus Christ, who cares for our every time and need. 

·       Third, we know knowledge is power. Christianity furnishes an excellent text, the Bible, which teaches us the truths about God so we know how to think of ourselves correctly and do not believe lies about God.

·       Lastly, Christianity urges us to reach out and touch others within our faith and to provide community service. Consequently, this helps us not to concentrate on our own anxieties and issues (https://teleiosresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/CV-TELEIOS-GCC-II-CMHJ-2013.pdf).   

 

How can I get peace? Make sure you are a Christian and know that your sins have been forgiven freely by faith in Christ. You then should realize that God accepts you and this great salvation cannot be taken away.  Practicing your faith balanced between the five tools of maturity mentioned above will help build the mindset and practices which the Spirit can use to build peace. It takes time and commitment, but you can do it. The fruits are there and blessings beyond measure.

 

Thank you for visiting today. We are honored that you take time to read this post. We hope you will join us again next week!

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email – info@teleiosresearch.com

Website – http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

 

 

Disclaimer – This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

 

Welcome to the Teleios Blog!

If you are a new guest, we wanted to take a moment to introduce you to the blog. If you are a regular guest, we welcome you back and hope you continue to find this blog informative. The goal of this blog is to show you the exciting benefits of the Bible in our daily lives!

 

Teleios is a non-profit foundation whose mission is bringing Christ to the world. We share the gospel and teach scripture through a wide range of online resources and personal mentorship.

 

We believe that scripture, while telling us about the free gift of salvation through faith in Christ’s death on the cross, also brings wisdom and knowledge for great day-to-day living.  The Bible teaches we can have:

1. A secure guilt-free relationship with God.
2. All we need to grow in our relationship with God.
3. Hope, love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22).

 

In the weekly blog I will tell you about the amazing truths of scripture as well as share dynamic research that Teleios has performed/is performing showing great benefits of living a Christian life. We will also cover issues that come up in our culture and from your comments.

 

We hope the blog will:

1. Encourage you by learning about Teleios and the practical use of the Bible in daily life.
2. Explain the good news of Christ to those of you who don’t yet believe.
3. Start a conversation with you about your own experiences, thoughts, ideas and questions.
4. Give you inspiring data that you can use in your own life and help you teach others.

 

We are excited to undertake the commitment of this blog. The blog will post weekly athttps://teleiosresearch.com/blog-teleios/. Please save the link to your favorites and join us again!

 

Thank you for visiting today. We are honored that you take time to read this post. We hope you will join us again next week!

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email – info@teleiosresearch.com

Website – http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

 

 

Disclaimer – This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.