“Old Chinese Proverb:” “不要自以为有智慧； 要敬畏耶和华，远离恶事。 这便医治你的肚脐， 滋润你的百骨。”
箴言 3:7-8 CUNPSS-上帝
This “ancient Chinese Proverb” can be read, “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”
--Proverbs 3:7-8 KJV (1)
When I looked up the translation for this ancient proverb, I noticed that the word “肚脐” translates as “navel” or “belly button.” This made me wonder, “Why does this proverb say that fearing the Lord (or finding one’s joy and satisfaction in God) results in health to the navel? Why that body part?” Then it dawned on me. The navel represents that part of the body where the placenta connected the child to its mother in the womb. That is the location where the ways of thinking, DNA components, and various characteristics of the child’s parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc. are passed down to that child.
So the verse can read, "Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be health to [that place where all the positive and negative characteristics--including the generational disease and toxic mindsets from your lineage--entered you from the umbilical cord] and health or marrow to your bones.” (my amplified paraphrase) That is, partnering with God as you turn away from what He defines as evil will over time repair your immune system by resetting and replenishing the bone marrow as your mind releases the proper hormones.
This occurs progressively as God teaches us to think the correct way consistent with our bodies’ engineered design (by receiving our Designer's love). We must humbly acknowledge that He is the wise Teacher, and we are the still-learning students who have to change the way we think in order to gain wisdom, change our thinking, and reap the benefits of doing so.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”
--Romans 1:28-32 NKJV
Those above listed ways of thinking, believing, and acting produce death over time physiologically via the mind-body connection. Agreeing with those thoughts, adopting those mindsets, and living accordingly releases neurotransmitters, hormones, interleukins, and other such chemicals into the human body which throw it out of homeostasis (proper order of functioning or balance), eventually resulting in a compromised immune system and disease. Excess cortisol is particularly released by guilt, shame, and fear, compromising the immune system as a byproduct of compromised relationships with God, others, and ourselves.
Not only neurologically, but at the cellular and even atomic level we are wired for love, for we are engineered in the image of a Creator whose identity is Love. When we misunderstand Love and look for love in all the wrong places, not only is there a breakdown in our relationships, but also a breakdown of the systems of the physical body.
All kinds of diseases are the byproducts of chronic ways of thinking which over- or under-secrete the hormones that our bodies were designed to secrete by thinking in a manner consistent with our "love design." Just as a car engine will be damaged by putting in the wrong kind of oil or gasoline that it was designed to run on, our physical hearts, bodies, and immune systems will break down with an improper diet of fear, guilt, shame, envy, bitterness, unforgiveness, resentment, self-pity, rage, etc.
Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil because God was with him. See Acts 10:38. He healed paralytics, epileptics, those with mental, learning, and communication disorders, those with viral diseases, autoimmune diseases, and every kind of disease and sickness. See Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 10:1. How did he do that? By prescribing and handing out medicine to everybody? Yes. What kind of medicine did Jesus administer?
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit (or heart) dries up the bone at the marrow level, resulting in a compromised immune system and sickness. See Proverbs 17:22; Isaiah 61:1; Psalm 34:18ff. Jesus brought people back into proper ways of thinking by restoring their love relationships with God, self, and others. He called them to change the way they think and to believe the good news that refreshes the bones at the marrow level (where the immune system is contained). See Mark 1:15; Proverbs 15:30.
Maybe we’ve had a car where the engine has been damaged over time by the quality of fuel we’ve put into it. Maybe our hearts (the “engines” of our physical bodies, complete with their own valves and pumps) have had wear-and-tear through years of the rough terrain of rocky relationships, disappointments, distress, despair, bitterness, hurt, pain, trauma, etc. What if our car manufacturer came to us and offered to replace our car engine for free?
What if God, who engineered and knit together our physical bodies in the womb--came and offered us a new heart and a new spirit that thinks exactly how Love thinks, with a mindset free from fear, guilt, anxiety, shame, condemnation, bitterness, unforgiveness, envy, gossip, slanderous accusation, rage, pride, rudeness, complaining, and other “toxic mindsets?”
What if God has provided all the revelation truth we need in order to think the way that He thinks instead of getting easily provoked, hurt, and offended by others (rather than hurting for others with compassion)? What if God gave us authority to become His children who have His DNA activated in our blood cells when we allow God’s blood to do a transforming work in us? See John 1:12; 1 John 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2; Hebrews 13:20-21.
Would we receive that offer? Would we renounce those comfortable, ingrained ways of thinking that seem and feel right to us but that actually break down our relationships, physical bodies, and health, and eventually culminate in death? Would we trade those ways of thinking for a deeper love relationship with the Source of Love? Would we receive a [re]new[ed] heart from Him that thinks like Love thinks and agrees with Him concerning every area of life as we daily let Him teach us His perfect ways?
Now to recap,
“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be [Heb. medicine] health to thy navel, and [Heb. watering, or, moistening] marrow to thy bones.”
--Proverbs 3:7-8 KJV [brackets from KJV footnotes]
Why does not having the attitude of a know-it-all, fearing the Lord, and departing from evil result in medicine to the “navel?” The “navel” represents the location where the dysfunctional ways of thinking by our parents and ancestors passed on to us generationally in the womb. Many of our futile ways of thinking that are inconsistent with the nature of Love we received in the womb and may have been reinforced by our own choices in our relationships.
The good news is that modern neuroscience has demonstrated that our genes do not need to determine our destiny or behavioral characteristics, for our genetic expressions are constantly being changed, activated, or deactivated by the way we choose to think. The scientific field of epigenetics shows that many of the genes we have inherited can be switched on and off by the way we choose to think. For scriptural parallels to this truth, see Deuteronomy 30:15ff; Ezekiel 18; Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Peter 1:2ff.
Although genes may determine many of our physical characteristics (hair color, skin color, eye color, body type, head shape, etc.), that does not necessarily need to be the case when it comes to a plethora of diseases, mindsets, and/or behaviors. The good news (that refreshes the bone marrow and thereby restores the immune system) is that just because we were born a certain way with negative predispositions or qualities, that doesn't mean that we have to stay that way.
We can not only be born again to a new identity defined by Love, but by abiding (or remaining) connected with that Love, we shall be made free from the dysfunctional ways of thinking that result in unnecessary decay, depression, disease, debilitation, and death. See John 3, 8, 15.
For more information on this subject of healing with insights from science and from “the Ancient Writings”, I recommend this post: “‘Healed’ Twice.”
This exact proverb may not have originated in China, per se. It is the Chinese translation of an ancient Hebrew proverb with universal truth and applicability across the human race.
Comments