- Envy
“A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.”
–Proverbs 14:30 ESV
- Chronic grief, a broken spirit
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
–Proverbs 17:22 ESV
- A proud, accusing, gossiping, finger-pointing, or critical spirit
“A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, 13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, 14 with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; 15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.”
–Proverbs 6:12-15 ESV
- Stubbornness, unteachability, unwillingness to take correction
“He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.”
–Proverbs 29:1 ESV
- Hatred towards other people who have a relationship with God
“And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.”
–Deuteronomy 7:15 ESV
- Stress from overworking
“I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow…30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.”
–Philippians 2:25-27,30 ESV
- Justifying and practicing sexual immorality in one’s life
“I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.”
–Revelation 2:21-23 ESV
- Complaining, self-pity, bitterness
“We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.”
–1 Corinthians 10:9-10 ESV
“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;”
–Hebrews 12:15 ESV
- Foolish or hurtful words
“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
–Proverbs 12:18 ESV
- Hope deferred, hopelessness, “this is as good as it’s ever gonna get,” “it’s all downhill from here,” spiritual apathy, passivity, and laziness
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”
–Proverbs 13:12 ESV
“A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”
–Proverbs 15:4 ESV
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’”
–Revelation 2:7 ESV [see also Revelation 22:2]
Having identified 10 potential causes of bodily breakdown, see also “10 Mindsets that Invite Physical Healing.”
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