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How to be Healthy from a Biblical Perspective

August 23, 2013 cm-admin Inspire 1

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23 Aug 2013 by Adeline Lum CM-

While we often compartmentalize God as an aspect in life, following God should perpetuate all areas of our life including taking care of our health.

If our body is the temple of Christ (1 Cor 6:19-20), and if the Lord gave such great attention in taking care and maintaining his temple, then shouldn’t we also take care of this body that we have?

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body"

1 Cor 6:19-20

A proverb once said, “Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.” Whether we like it or not, this body is our tent on earth.

But keeping our body healthy as working adults seems to be an arduous task. As urbanites, our daily routine involves sitting and driving in a car, more sitting in an office cubicle, and then sitting down again in our car after working. Basically, much of our daily awake hours can be sedentary. And a sedentary lifestyle gives rise to many diseases; one that is on the rise is obesity.

According to The Star, ‘Malaysia is the fattest country in South-East Asia,’ number six in the whole of Asia. Recent statistics from the National Health and Morbidity Surveys reported that 15 percent of Malaysians aged 18 and above are obese. Not only that, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and cancers are also increasing dramatically among Malaysians.

Looking at the current statistic, one cannot help but wonder how God intended the human body to work. What is God’s design for a human body?

Perhaps, we could find the answer in Genesis, whereby even before the fall of mankind, Adam and Eve were given the authority to take care of the ground, much like what we know as farming today. And to take care and grow the plants involve much physical activity, including tilling the soil, planting the seed, weeding, watering, and guarding from animals. In other words, the Lord has originally designed our bodies to move and work.

Hence, increasing physical activity in our life may just be the key to a healthy and strong body, be it taking the staircase, making time for the gym, taking morning brisk, and other creative ways to fit in more physical activity. Of course, this fact is well supported by research and promoted by many health organizations.

Apart from lack of physical activity, another reason why we are increasingly unhealthy is due to lack of sleep. Working adults today often find themselves at an incredibly steep slope in climbing the competitive corporate ladder. Many work 10 to 15 hours a day, only coming home to sleep before continuing this routine for five days in a row. Recent news reported a bright intern of investment bank Merrill Lynch has died after coming home at six in the morning three days in a row. While diligence is biblical, The Lord also made Sabbath day, showing the significance of resting for effective work.

Deuteronomy 5:12-13

¹³Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁴but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do.

In fact, research has shown that sleep depravity reduce work effectiveness (1), causes weight gain (2), and is associated with hypertension (3).

The third reason we are unhealthy may be our inability to cope with stress. People who could not cope with stress suffer from insomnia, hypertension, depression, and breaking down of the body. And often than not, we get stressed when we try to control situations or things that are out of our control.; that makes us quite jittery but what do we do? The answer is to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom when making a decision (James 1:5).

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

If we are wondering whether God feels ‘bothered’ with our praying, the Lord actually wants us to pray in the Spirit in all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests (Eph 6:18). Hence, for any stressful situations that are out of our control, pray to God and he will give us rest in our soul (Matt 11:29). Do what you can but leave the unknown and uncontrollable areas for God to control. Remember He only ask us to take one day at a time and focus on the worries for today only (Matt 6:34).