Do You Value Your Health?

This is a warning. A warning that we all, including myself, need to be reminded of daily. We have to start taking care of our health. Imagine if you received $75,000,000 today; would you be excited? I think anyone would be excited. What if you found out that you would die the next day? Would you trade that $75,000,000 for the opportunity to talk to your children, your spouse, or perhaps ask for forgiveness for a wrong you had done to someone? If you would, you just claimed that health is more valuable than money. I believe this to be true, and any Christian should consider this, too. The average life expectancy for a man in the United States is 75 years. Do you see the value in that number now? If you do, what changes need to be made in the area of health? 

Spiritual Health

The most important health issue we should be concerned with is our spiritual health. If you were to die tomorrow, where would you spend eternity? With the Lord? Great, keep fighting the good fight, and finish the race.  Are we adequately training for optimal spiritual health? Are you trained to take everything to God in prayer? The Spirit instructs us how we ought to pray, 

In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

(Phil 4:5-7)

Too often, our spiritual health suffers because we allow anxiety to overwhelm our hearts and thoughts. Some go to uninspired people's perspectives and even poisons to try and deal with spiritual problems. We have the avenue of prayer to make known the needs of our beloved, who may be suffering from disease. We have the avenue of prayer to express a heart of thanksgiving recognizing all that He has provided. We can speak to our Benevolent Father also making our requests known to Him. 

With regard to spiritual health, we must let the Word of Christ indwell us richly (cf. Col 3:16). When we feast on the Word of God, we cannot help but be made healthy. When you put good things in, good things come out. We are reminded by Jesus, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luk 6:45). We need to stay focused and not become spiritually diseased. 

Relational Health

The second area we must give attention to is our relational health. Life is full of relationships with others so we need to keep in mind that those relationships need to remain healthful. God himself gave some guidelines. First we need to look after the needs of others and not just our own. “All things are lawful; but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful; but not all things edify. Let no man seek his own, but each his neighbor’s good” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24). We need to look after each other, and particularly our own households. To spend time together to encourage one another, and love each other in such a way where we defer to one another often. We are relational beings because God Himself is relational. He desires fellowship with man and created man for relationship with Him and each other. 

Secondly, it would be also helpful to consider the proper order of relationships. “Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Pet 2:17). This is easy to understand–give the right honor and courtesy to all men, especially kings. We give our love toward our brethren, and we fear God. When we get this twisted, our relational health suffers. Some love the king, and honor the brotherhood. We need to remember we each have a relationship with the Father that needs regular communication, and worship. We also recognize that we are part of the body of Christ, we are to function as a body, which means we all work together for God’s glory. We must keep our focus on our relationships, and not become diseased relationally. 

Physical Health 

Physical health is another item that we might be tempted to take for granted until it is gone. Our bodies are meant and made to lift (weights, children, furniture, pots, etc.) if we neglect to use the bodies God gave us to work with, we should not be surprised when they cease to function properly. I do concede that as Christians we have to put physical health behind spiritual health as it is written,

but refuse profane and old wives’ fables. And exercise thyself unto godliness: for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come.

1 Tim 4:7-8

Notice what the Spirit did not say here. He did not say that bodily exercise was unprofitable, He said it was profitable for a little. Bodily exercise is valuable while in the body. How many lost opportunities for service to Jehovah are lost because we do not properly maintain our bodies with movement? Not to mention, there are many environmental and dietary elements that are making it harder to stay healthy. We, however, need to learn how to control the controllables in our lives. If my fitness is improved by my will to exercise, I am going to exercise and you should, too, according to your ability. If my diet can improve my physical health, I need to eat better according to my ability. 

In addition, we need to make every effort to look after other elements of our physical health, including our minds. One of the greatest things we can do for our mental health is again to focus on things that promote a thankful disposition in our lives. Paul recorded, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). We need to keep a close watch on our bodies and do our best not to become diseased physically.

Do you value your health? I think you all do. I think that we all struggle with one or more aspects of health at times in life. Regardless of where you are on your day count, you have a valid purpose in the kingdom of God. Your objective is to just keep pushing. If you're 16, be the best 16-year-old you can be; if you're 66, be the best 66-year-old you can be. Let’s get better spiritually, relationally, and physically each day to the glory of God.