Creating a Healthy Lifestyle
3 John 1:2 (NIV)
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” – 3 John 1:2 (NIV)
Beloved, caring for our bodies is not something we do in addition to being a Christian. It is at the heart of God’s plan for our lives. Do not misunderstand. We are saved by grace – (Ephesians 2:8). However, we may fail to achieve God’s purpose for our lives because of our poor eating habits which can result in preventable diseases.
Dr. Cris Enriquez, M.D, author of, “We Don’t Die, We Kill Ourselves” stated that Isaiah 55:2 (NKJV), which says, “…listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good…” shows that the word “good” does not refer to taste but rather to what is healthy. He further declared that if good health and longevity are what we are after then some of the foods are found in Genesis 1:29 which says, ‘And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of the earth, and every tree whose fruits yield seed; to you it shall be food.” This was further modified after the Great Flood (Genesis 9:3). While a more detailed list can be found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. Dr. Cris concluded that the diet factor is just one of many important factors in the prevention of a cardiovascular catastrophe.
Dr. Enriquez further stated that “there is overwhelming evidence that regular physical activity produces a wide range of physical and mental health benefits, including a sound and healthy heart. Exercise as simple as walking or gardening strengthens the heart and cardiovascular system, increases energy, and enhances the mind” and assists in staving off other diseases. Thus, exercise should be a vital part of our lives.
Beloved, it is God’s will that we live a long and healthy life. Exercise, a good diet, eating healthy foods, and intermittent fasting are all contributing nuggets to good health and longevity. Every faculty with which Elohim has endowed us should be cultivated to the highest degree of perfection, so that we may be able to do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we repent for making food an idol in our lives. We release the Fire of Your Holy Spirit to destroy the spirit of gluttony and replace it with self-control. Give us the wisdom to eat the healthy foods that You ordained we should eat in Your Holy Scriptures. Purge our bodies from every sickness and disease that has ravished our bodies as a result of our ravenous indiscretions, and give us fortitude and strength to exercise, diet, fast, and pray. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Read: Genesis 9:3-5; Ephesians 2:8
Bible Reading Guide: Psalms 115:12-18; Philippians 2:12-30; Jeremiah 2:31-37; Jeremiah 3; Jeremiah 4:1-9
