A Call to Better Health

Welcome to another Still in the Storm Substack article.

As many of you may know, I have been working on a new solution, Science Defined, to help equip people with the knowledge to advocate for their health.

This is important for everyone whether you follow Jesus Christ or not.

Just look at the current state of health in the United States.

It’s safe to say that we could all use a new perspective.

However, there are a few crucial distinctions between how the world looks at health and illness vs how I think a Christian should.

I will be looking at this in a new series of articles beginning with this one today.

The world’s approach to health and illness

Let's begin with a quick review of how the world deals with health and illness. Then we will contrast that with how a Christian should view it.

This is a gross generalization, but it is likely consistent for many Americans. Your mileage may vary.

The hard reality is that most people don’t think much, or hardly at all, about their health until something goes wrong.

We don’t pay much attention to our bodies. Frequently, we ignore our health until a symptom(s) emerges that becomes unbearable and must be dealt with.

Then off we go to the doctor.

Following a speedy exam, we get a diagnosis and a prescription for a pharmaceutical treatment.

Unless, of course, further testing must be done in the case of something more severe like cancer or heart disease.

At this point, most people do whatever the doctor tells them and will take the recommended treatment until the symptom resolves.

Do they deal with the underlying issue? Do they try to change their health meaningfully by evaluating diet and lifestyle amongst other factors?

The answer typically is a resounding ‘no’.

If you are someone who has broken this pattern then my hat’s off to you.

Here in the USA, we have an epidemic of chronic illness and I think you can probably see from the above why it continues to get worse.

Until we take control and personal responsibility for our health then we will continue to suffer at the hands of a pharma-medical industrial complex that is more interested in profit-taking than actual health.

Health should be paramount to a Christian

I don’t want to diminish the importance of gaining control of your health whether you are a believer or non-believer. It is critical regardless.

Perhaps you gathered that from the preceding section.

That said, I would like to suggest that as followers of Jesus Christ, we should view our bodies and thus our health and well-being in a different light.

Why? Well, first you are not your own but you were bought at a price.

Yes, when Jesus died on that cross at Calvary He paid the price of redeeming us.

To redeem something is to buy it back at a price and He paid a steep one. So, we are owned.

According to the Apostle Paul, we are bondslaves of Christ.

Paul also tells us that our bodies are the temple of the living God, whose Holy Spirit dwells within us. That’s incredible.

To recap, we are the Lord’s property and His Spirit lives in us.

Doesn’t this seem like it should warrant some special handling of the body?

We should honor and worship the Lord by stewarding our bodies for Him.

This is just one way we can live according to the calling we’ve been called as Paul also admonishes us.

Hopefully, you can now grasp why it is so important to take care of our bodies, to keep them healthy if possible, and to care for them when sick.

It’s not just for us but for the Lord.

This has nothing to do with vanity or how one looks physically.

When we are born again from above we are not the same.

Let’s start acting like it.

It’s more than just the physical body

Before wrapping up this first article I would be remiss if I left things at the level of the physical body.

This is a grievous mistake that is often made by science and the world at large.

Modern medicine and science simply view health and illness in terms of the physical body while ignoring the spirit and soul.

To be sure, as followers and members of Christ, we must take a different view.

Again, Paul tells us something about this too. Our bodies are tripartite like God’s.

Despite our current state, humans were created with a spirit, a soul, and a body.

We often neglect the spirit and soul at the peril of the body.

It has been demonstrated that our thoughts and emotions can have a profound impact on our health.

Much of what ails us physically has at its roots a spiritual or soul issue.

Let’s face it: we tend to feed our minds and spirits the same quality of food we are giving our bodies, and in the US, that is junk.

Stewardship of our bodies and transformation into Christ requires attention to all of these areas and more.

There’s so much more

Yes, there is and I could go on for quite some time because I believe it is that important but, I want to make sure that this is given to you in small, digestible bites.

It won’t help you if you are overwhelmed.

That is why I recommended chewing and meditating on this, comparing it to what you are currently doing in your own life.

In another article, I will share what I believe Christians should do when trying to maintain good health or deal with illnesses. So, stay tuned.

Let me know what you think in the discussion below.

Talk soon,

Mike

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P.S. Science Defined is THE solution to learning science. We aim to make it accessible and fun.

If you want to take control of your health and steward your body, which is the Temple of God, I can think of no better resource.

For more information click here.

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