Your Encouraging 5 Minute Podcast
A weekly dose of encouragement to start your week off right! Join your favorite WPER hosts every week for uplifting thoughts to keep your eyes focused on Christ and His promises.
Your Encouraging 5 Minute Podcast
The Healing Power of Hugs
Hugs play a profound part in reflecting God's love.
A simple embrace can become a source of healing, comfort, and spiritual connection for both the giver and the receiver!
Hugs can help us understand the concept of God's love in our daily lives – and there’s some science about how hugs help us emotionally, and how hugs are a physical manifestation of support and encouragement for someone who needs it!
If this episode encouraged you at all, would you share it with a friend? Maybe someone you’d like to hug today but can’t.
Thank you so much for listening to your Encouraging 5-Minute Podcast. We're Eric and Heather and we love being able to share some time with you, and if you would like a little bit more encouragement, you're always welcome to tune in to Virginia's Home for Encouragement, wper. If you're outside the listening area, the WPER app works great. You can find more about that at WPERorg. Now today we're talking about the ways God's love moves through our daily lives. Sometimes it moves through something so simple but so powerful hugs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we all go through challenges, loneliness, stress, anxiety, heartbreak. But what if we understood that something as small as a hug could be one of the ways God brings healing, comfort, connection into our lives? Hugging isn't just a quick pat on the back. Although some people could count that as a hug, I say it's got to be at least four or five seconds. It's a spiritual action. Hugs matter and they're part of God's design for human connection.
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely. But before we talk about the spiritual side of things, let's look at what science tells us about hugs, because when we hug someone, our brains release a chemical. It's called oxytocin. Now this chemical creates feelings of trust, it reduces stress, it lowers blood pressure. Right that regular hugs will boost immune systems. They help with depression, they help us feel more connected. So when we embrace someone, we're not just offering warmth, we're actually helping them feel better, not just physically but emotionally. And in a world where so many people feel isolated and alone, a hug's a beautiful gift.
Speaker 2:Isn't it amazing that God created us in such a way that something as small as a hug can actually bring healing. You know, throughout scripture we see that God created us for connection.
Speaker 1:In Genesis.
Speaker 2:Genesis 2.18,. He said it's not good for man to be alone. We were never meant to walk through life feeling isolated or burdened by struggles. We can connect in many ways through WPER, the radio station, the internet, even through little acts of kindness, but a simple embrace can sometimes speak louder than words. Think about the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. When the lost son returned home, what did his father do? Did he just stand at a distance and say you know, wait there. He ran to him, ran and embraced him. That hug wasn't just a greeting, it was a declaration of love, forgiveness and belonging.
Speaker 1:I love that and think about Jesus himself. Right, he constantly reached out to people. He touched and healed people. He did not shy away from physical connection. He laid hands on the sick, he embraced children, which at that time was not something people did. He showed love through his presence and hugging. I mean, if you think about it, is actually a reflection of God's love. It's a love that welcomes, it's a love that comforts and it's a love that reassures.
Speaker 2:Now, know this and you might think yourself not a hugger. That's okay, I would say yeah, it is okay, and I would say this if you're not a hugger, you can learn to be a hugger, sure, sure, and you will grow to love it. But if you are a hugger, a simple hug for someone can be a ministry when you really think about it.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Think about people in your life who might need encouragement. Maybe there's a friend that's been struggling, or you know a family member that carries a lot of stress. Someone at church, maybe at work or in your community that you know just needs to feel seen A hug, yeah, and we're talking.
Speaker 2:A genuine, sincere hug can remind someone that, hey, you are not alone, I'm here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and not just you, but that God sees them as well. And maybe the next time you see somebody who needs that kind of comfort, instead of just saying something, offer a hug and let that embrace be a physical reminder, not just for you but for them, of God's love.
Speaker 2:God created us for connection, and one of the simplest ways we can share his love is through a hug.
Speaker 1:Isn't that cool.
Speaker 2:Sometimes I think we underestimate the power of this. Really, it's a small thing, but it is profound.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and we just want to say thank you for allowing us to spend a little time with you today, and if this episode encouraged you at all, would you share it with a friend?
Speaker 2:Hey, and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an uplifting message. It's always about encouragement during our five-minute encouraging podcast and we'll just let you know again. If you need more encouragement even right now, you can go back to the start and listen again, or you can listen to Virginia's Home for Encouragement WPER.
Speaker 1:Now, if you're outside the listening area, you can always listen at WPERorg or, while you're there, you can download the WPER app and listen anywhere you go.
