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Q&A of the Day – The Difference a Little (more) Faith Makes
Each day I feature a listener question sent by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
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iHeartRadio: Use the Talkback feature – the microphone button on our station’s page in the iHeart app.
Today’s entry: You’ve inspired me to make some changes myself as I’ve drifted away from my faith. What are some things you do to stay centered?
Bottom Line: Well, first I’ll amend your kind words to say – attempt to stay centered. I’ve got a long way to go myself which you can probably tell by listening. Anyway, the note and the sentiment is really appreciated. I’ve made a point of increasingly leaning on faith-based messaging and on back of yesterday’s takeaways, happened to receive the most feedback I’ve had locally when talking about God and faith related matters. Hopefully that’s a sign so here’s goes. It’s also a natural tie into Memorial Day weekend, where it’s appropriate to reflect on the sacrifice of those who’ve allowed us the freedom we enjoy. We should pray for the families who’ve lost loved ones in service in addition to reflecting on the sacrifice of those lost. And that’s a good place to start the conversation. Taking the time to pray a bit more, or at all if you really don’t currently. And perhaps taking the time to do it for those you might not usually consider. That’s one of the big changes I’ve made in my life in recent years. Here’s a little inside baseball. It’ll probably not come as a surprise that there are regular haters that I hear from. One of the things I do these days is pray for them. I figure the more unhappy they are and the more ill will they wish the more they could use a prayer. It’s not only something that’s probably a good thing to do as Christian, but also its something which leads to me feeling better as well. And that’s kind of a bigger theme as well.
Something I’ve noticed, which probably sounds like commonsense for those who are Christ-centered, is the more I do what we’re called on to do, the more at peace I am. It might sound weird for me to say that I often feel better after coming across people who, in so many words, tell me to eat poo and die, but that’s often the case. Pausing to say a little prayer for them also brings me inner peace. And that process often allows me to more effectively digest and process the news cycle as well. But before jumping further into that line of thought. What I just described has been a more recent development. It took some work to get there because my natural reaction used to be pretty much the opposite. That change came after a series of other changes, which happened to be data driven. Are you surprised? One of the big ones for me is one we’re especially well positioned to take advantage of in South Florida.
There have been numerous studies looking into the benefits of nature and one’s wellbeing. Each one points in the same direction. Spending time in nature, and away from technology, is good for you. One of the most recent studies published in the scientific journal Nature, found 120 minutes per week in nature is specifically connected with overall good health and well-being. That’s only an average of about 17 minutes a day. A little time with nature and a little time away from devices and distractions can go a long way. Something I make a point of doing when I get home each day, is taking off my Apple Watch, putting down the phone and spending a little time out back with nature and relaxing. The research is right, it makes a huge difference. You might give something like that a try if you aren’t already. The next biggie has been consumer choice.
I’ve talked a fair amount about consumers voting with their wallets. Most recently, the pollster Trafalgar found 87% of us now make at least some consumer decisions based on the politics of companies we do business with. Well, more important than political preferences is faith. On that note, there are many wonderful non-profits in South Florida, however we all only have so much time and capacity. In recent years I’ve prioritized working with those which are faith-based. Having those experiences every so often is very much a healthy reality check of sorts. And that’s led to other related changes.
There’s not much about pop culture that’s consistent with Christian values these days. So rather than paying for and subjecting myself to it, I’ve chosen to seek out and specifically support it where it exists. When I listen to music, its mostly Christian music – which by the way is currently better than it's ever been and, in my opinion, puts the disposable music currently being produced in the top 40 to shame. Anyway, research supports this as well. Many studies on the effect of listening to Christian music have been scientifically documented. Among the benefits for those who opt for it...less anxiety, greater sense of control, higher satisfaction with life. And that’s not the only change. I rarely watch TV outside of news, but when I do, Ashley and I prioritize faith-based/produced movies and shows. Pureflix is a great place to start for Hollywood quality material, without the Hollywood BS, but there are so many options. Including searching faith-based material on streaming services like Netflix, Tubi, etc. as well. All of this takes me full circle with your question.
I’m the same screwup you hear every day, it’s not like there’s some holier than thou thing going on here. But what I’ve found is that by opting for incorporating these elements in my life I’m, wait for it... Happier, less anxious, better able to process the negatively, etc. It’s almost like there’s something to the research and perhaps God, right? And this is all independent of Harvard’s study showing the profoundly positive impact of having faith in one’s life. As Harvard’s proved, the more closely connected one is to their faith, the better off they are generally. So that’s what I’d offer to you. Perhaps try a thing or two and see how it works for you. The odds literally are in favor of it working for you. And may God bless you.