For years I had to take the purple pill to alleviate the pain I experienced while eating the foods I enjoyed. The spicier the better. Being half hispanic, I loved the foods with rich spices, but I also had a terrible time afterwards, often experiencing incredible abdominal pains.
In addition, I inherited what I often call a “Puerto Rican Stomach” that includes a nauseous stomach first thing in the morning. Most usually try to cure this with a cup of coffee and very little breakfast, typically because the appetite is not very strong first thing in the morning. In addition, there was this “nervous stomach” that was also follow me around, where my appetite would go up and down, dependent on what was happening in my life.
I found out I had acid reflux, where stomach contents leak back into the esophagus, creating a great deal of pain. After a while, the purple pill was not helping, so I ended up going to a stronger medication to help with my regular occurring stomach pain. My trouble with my stomach even landed me in the hospital twice, with such incredible abdominal pain I could not even stand up straight. I was further diagnosed with a hiatal hernia, a condition where part of the stomach sticks upward into the chest.
I was told after an investigative procedure to simply lose weight and stop eating any of the foods I enjoyed. At the same time, God was doing a deep renovation in my life, healing my heart and delivering me from ways of thinking that were working against my growth in God. I was especially going through becoming free from various works of fear in my life. As God was healing my heart and delivering me from oppressive thinking, I became aware that the stinking thinking I had allowed to infiltrate my life was also affecting my gastrointestinal tract.
Fear’s Work Against the Stomach
I went before God about the fear issues of my life. I really began to see how fear compromises the health of our digestive system, robbing us of enjoying foods and being able to process the nutrition foods offers. If the nervous system is sensing any lack of peace within us, over time the stomach and intestines can begin to lose the productive jobs they were designed to do. In fact, there is even a separate nervous system that surrounds the stomach called the enteric nervous system. Your body is keenly aware if you fear issues that are going unresolved.
The Fear Issues I Addressed:
Here are the fear issues relating to my stomach issues. I addressed them with authority and began to take my peace over them.
Insecurity:
I began to come before God and repent for serving insecurity. I was living in constant performance and perfectionism pressure, but never realizing how much it was affecting my life. My identity was wrapped around what I did and how well I did it. I listened to the thoughts of rejection telling me that I the “pressure was on” when it came to ministry, singing, speaking or putting an event together. Once and for all, I receive the love that Father God had for me and began to take my peace over my identity. I renounced living for approval and instead began to live FROM the approval that Father God already gave me.
Fear of Failure:
This is a big one if you want to overcome any kind of gastrointestinal issues. I recognized that a fear of failure was robbing me behind the scenes. I would live each day focusing on what dreading events or scenarios were coming my way. I took pride in being able to calculate everything that could go wrong. This was working against me, because I had lost my peace regarding the future and could not enjoy the present.
Worry:
Even though Jesus commanded us, “Do not worry about tomorrow,” (Matthew 6-7) I had a hard time walking in that. I had to receive a revelation of the Father’s love for me; knowing that He would take care of me and provide for my every need. I had to renounce that fear of failure, which drove me to strive and put so much energy into avoiding something going wrong. Instead of simply doing my best and taking my peace, I was tormented with the pressures I had allowed the enemy to put on my heart. The worry wart had to be put away.
Shifting a Generational Pattern
On top of that, I had to practice taking my peace daily with God and the situations I found myself in. My family line is riddled with worry warts and restless minds, so I knew I was confronting a generational way of thinking. In overcoming this trait, I was not only letting God change my mind, I was giving Him room to even rewire my personality; into a way that was not afraid to fail or be tormented by tomorrow. I was free to enjoy the day that was in front of me. This wasn’t just about my stomach being healed. This was about a new way of seeing life!
Jesus taught that there is enough to focus on today. We do not need to project into tomorrow what could go wrong. Listening to fear of the future and dread does nothing to help us. Too many live in a private shame of all their worries and fears. They are left to think, “Well this is just the way that I am.” We lose any sight of a better future with health and wholeness.
Healing Manifestation
As I began to walk this process out of turning from fear, anxiousness and worry, my stomach was healed! No more acid reflux. No more purple pills or any pills at all for my abdominal pain. No hyatal hernia. No one even laid hands on me for healing! I was able to eat what I wanted and take my peace again.
My body came into health as I aligned myself with heaven’s way of thinking. There is no worry in heaven, so walking in that kind of peace gives us the health that God designed us to possess.
Am I perfect in this walk out? No way! I still have a dump truck of thoughts that God is working out in my life. But I am excited about it, because He is faithful to patiently love us through each stage, so that we become more like His Son Jesus Christ. I am enjoying learning to be an overcomer. My body thanks me for it.
He is faithful to love the fear out of us and deliver us from all our fears.
Question: Where do you need to confront fear and allow God’s healing power to come and heal your life?