Create your own blue zone

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live long, live well”

Our Bible verse for today: “Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” Acts 2:44-47 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Create your own Blue Zone”

As we approach the end of our study on living long and living well, we are considering some of the suggestions offered by Dan Buettner and his team of researchers as published in his book, “Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest.” A Blue Zone is a region in the world where a large percentage of the population tends to live long and healthy lives, often to 100 or older.

The idea behind the lessons the author offers us is that although most of us cannot move to and live in one of the geographic Blue Zones referred to in the book, we can all implement changes in our lives that help to create a Blue Zone for us and for those we love. And as I wrote in a previous devotional, the lifestyle habit that most of those in the Blue Zones shared and which I think is most important and most helpful, is strong faith. Statistically, people of faith tend to live better and longer than unbelievers – and Dan Buettner’s research bore that out. And the healthiest and most impactful practice of faith occurs in community, when you are surrounded by likeminded others and everyone is strengthened and encouraged by each other’s faith.

In Acts 2:44-47 we’re reading about the early church in Jerusalem. At that point the Christian Church was only months old and already they had established the importance of having a strong community of faith to be a part of and to support you. This is church life at its best.

The model of the early church shows us an ideal setting and one that was necessary at that early stage of the establishment of the new faith. It is not intended to be a blueprint for every church everywhere throughout history. However, the principles of love, support, fellowship, sharing, caring, and much time spent together, are the basis for healthy church life and the more of that that is practiced in any church, the healthier that church will be.

As we discovered in an earlier devotional on this topic, numerous studies have statistically shown that people who have a strong faith and who practice it in a community of likeminded believers tend to be happier and to live longer than those who don’t.

Perhaps the most important element in establishing your own personal Blue Zone is to develop a strong faith and practice it in community. You need to be part of a good church family.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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