Being a pastor, I am always concerned with other people’s health – probably more interested in you being healthy than I am in my own personal health. I am always interested when someone goes into the hospital for any reason. I am wondering what would keep someone out of our services. There are three areas that are vital to you being able to help others – like being around for your children, grandchildren, etc. Our Lord’s example was in these areas of His life and He taught us to follow a good plan in the physical, spiritual, and emotional parts of our lives.
Let’s talk about physical health. To get started, we need to go to our favorite medical doctor (lots of luck with that one!) and get a physical, along with a full panel of blood work. These procedures will provide you and your doctor some guidelines and markers to help you progress. A good doctor will probably tell you to lose weight, eat fewer sugars and fats, and to begin an exercise program. Be a good patient and follow his advice, and you will be glad you did. Your energy level will be greater and you will not be like the person who told me, “as long as there is a pill for my problem, I will eat whatever I want.”
Do what my dad has always taught me, “Eat good food, just not too much of it!” The better food you eat, the better you will feel and the more strength you will have to do the things you want to. Junk food may be “comfort food”, but it is food that will add very little to the long range goals of your life. For me, it is controlling portions. – I like good food and a lot of it! When I leave the table and twenty minutes later I am not stuffed, I have made a good decision about the amount of food I consumed.
With good food, it is important that I exercise. Almost every time I go to the doctor, he will ask me about my activity level. I tell him about all the things I do and the stairs I climb every day to get my meals and find my bed, and he always tells me I need to do more. I complain that I do not have the energy nor the time to invest in more exercise, and he assures me that if I would exercise more I would have more energy to exercise. – That does not make sense to me, but he tells me it’s true! Then I remember my “trump card” – it is a fact that 50% of all doctors graduate in the bottom half of their respective class – just maybe he does not know best!
Let’s talk about rest. There is a law of physically resting from your normal activity and work that is paramount to spiritual, physical, and emotional health. The Creator rested one day out of the busiest week of His existence! We need to take a break from our normal activities. It might be that we need to sleep in, do some yard work, sort our socks, or go sit in our deer blind or boat with our favorite flavored iced tea. We need to have a 24-hour block of time each week that is ours…, OK, maybe we can be quick and rest only 23 hours. “Workaholism” will erode all aspects of one’s life. Having time away from our normal activities will bring refreshment to every area of our lives.
Let’s talk about meditation. Now, don’t try to make me fit into some Eastern religion and have me join some circle of friends where we hum and allow our minds to wander! No! I am talking about having something to meditate on that will strengthen my inner person. I believe that God’s Word is worth thinking about. Many do not know the value of the Bible because they have not taken the time to read it and meditate upon it. There is not enough room to write down all the benefits of God’s written and inspired Word. Reading the Bible is very important, but meditating on it is equally important. Please do not misunderstand, but the amount of the Word you read is not as important as meditating, thinking, memorizing, and musing on smaller portions. It is like the difference between an all-you-can-eat Golden Corral meal and a sit-down dinner experience at Jamill’s, a five-star restaurant in Tulsa. The portions will be smaller, but your meal will be enjoyed much more. Meditating on God’s Word is giving time for the God of all creation to speak directly into our own hearts!
Let’s talk about prayer. Prayer is not just talking to someone about something we can not do and wishing someone else would do it for us! Prayer is an opportunity to talk personally with the Creator of the universe. It is learning how to give Him all my concerns and trusting Him to help me with them. It is often just sitting quietly in His presence with no agenda and no requests. Most of our prayers are a sort of encounter with our “Cosmic Santa”, where we present our lists and wait for our packages to be delivered on our chosen “Christmas Day”. But true prayer involves telling God how much we appreciate being born, how grand it is to be an American, and how we love the freedom that He helps to provide. It is taking time to recognize that He is an important part of our lives and let Him know it! There seems to be so many things that are “out of control”, that prayer allows me to sit down with the One at the controls and learn what He is planning.
Healthy is a worthwhile goal, not only for this life, but for the life to come. When I have exhausted this physical life, I want to be sure I am ready for my eternal life. It is in having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that I am ready to live here and hereafter. My life in Christ makes me want to be healthy in the areas of the physical, spiritual, and emotional. The better my life is here determines to a large part the kind of life I will have eternally.
When it truly comes down to basics, how healthy are you?
