How long can you hold your breath? Most people can do it for somewhere between 15 and 30 seconds. At that point, the lungs begin to ache, the heart begins to beat irregularly, the kidneys and liver go into stress, and carbon dioxide begins to build up in the bloodstream. There is only one way to get relief from the growing discomfort: Let out a huge gasp and resume normal breathing.
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Some people have become exceptional at holding their breath, particularly athletes and those engaged in endurance activity. A skin-diver in Croatia set what is believed to be the world record, holding his breath for an incredible 24 minutes and 37 seconds! But even he, eventually, had to resume normal respiration.
We need to breathe. We can’t do without it. Not only is it necessary to stay alive, but doing it correctly can significantly improve quality of life. It can increase lung efficiency, calm down stress and anxiety, and even improve mental health. You will sleep better, digest food better and fight off disease better. You will recover from exercise and physical exertion faster and more completely.
Life is just more peaceful and secure when we can breathe normally. If you don’t believe that, just ask somebody who can’t!
First things first
The very first thing God did after he formed the first man was to give him breath. Genesis 2:7 says, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
And with that first breath perhaps He also instilled in us the need for His presence, mercy and protection.
Much like breathing, we will find that we need Jesus to survive. A right relationship with Him can relieve stress and mental frustration. Being secure in our eternal future brings the peace and security needed to navigate the storms of life. We should never abandon that connection.
Even Job, after all the adversity God allowed to befall him, said, “As long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies” (Job 27: 3–4).
You might say living as a child of God is like a breath of fresh air.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ken Lass is a retired Birmingham television news and sports anchor and an award-winning columnist for numerous publications and websites.
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