(箴言 17:22)
“喜樂的心，乃是良藥．憂傷的靈，使骨枯乾。”
我們先看後半句。「憂傷」在原文中是指一種完全失去盼望、破碎的狀態，而「靈」則是我們生命的動力。如果心靈破碎憂傷，會導致骨頭枯乾。在希伯來人的觀念中，骨頭是生命的支柱，骨髓則是生命的源頭；當一個人失去盼望，整個生命都會隨之萎靡。
要醫治這種枯乾，關鍵在於擁有「喜樂的心」。這裡所說的「喜樂」並非指聽笑話或收到禮物後產生的短暫愉悅，而是一種源於與神緊密連結與信靠、持續不斷的狀態。心是意志與情感的中心，當我們連結於神，無論外在環境如何，內心都能處於喜樂之中。
最特別的是，經文提到的「良藥」一詞，在整本聖經的希伯來原文中僅在此處出現過一次。這個詞代表著一種「癒合」與「恢復的力量」。換言之，當我們保持喜樂，這種源於神的恢復力會直接影響我們的身體機能，促進健康與痊癒。
因此，無論我們目前面對什麼環境，開心的事固然值得感恩，不開心的事也可以選擇交託給主。只要我們保持喜樂的心，與神連結，身體也會隨之健康。
(Proverbs 17:22)
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
Let us first look at the latter half of the verse. In the original text, brokenness refers to a state of being completely shattered and devoid of hope, while the spirit is the driving force of our life. If the soul is broken and sorrowful, it leads to the drying of the bones. In the Hebrew conception, bones are the pillars of life, and marrow is the source of life; when a person loses hope, the entire life withers accordingly.
To heal this dryness, the key lies in having a merry heart. The joy mentioned here does not refer to the fleeting pleasure derived from hearing a joke or receiving a gift, but rather a continuous state rooted in a deep connection and trust in God. The heart is the center of our will and emotions; when we connect ourselves to God, our inner being can remain in a state of joy regardless of external circumstances.
Most notably, the word medicine mentioned in this scripture appears only once in the original Hebrew text of the entire Bible. This word represents a kind of healing and restorative power. In other words, when we maintain joy, this restorative power originating from God directly affects our bodily functions, promoting health and recovery.
Therefore, no matter what environment we currently face, while happy things are certainly worth our gratitude, we can also choose to entrust the unhappy things to the Lord. As long as we maintain a merry heart and stay connected with God, our bodies will also become healthy accordingly.
