“And now my life seeps away. Depression haunts my days. At night my bones are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly. With a strong hand, God grabs my shirt. He grips me by the collar of my coat. He has thrown me into the mud. I’m nothing more than dust and ashes.” (Job 30:16-19 NLT)
As Job discovered, life can be cruel, and we can quickly blame God instead of reaching out to Him for His compassionate care. The longer I live the more clearly I see my part in the physical dilemma I now face, and, unfortunately, how clearly I see the same thing playing out in the lives of many of my friends and family.
It’s clear in younger people as well, but, just as I was, they’re blind to the inevitable outcomes of their current lifestyles. And please don’t hear what I’m not saying, it’s not that they’re living in deep, deliberate sin, it’s just that they are blinded to the tortuous results of many of their habits. These are otherwise godly and very good people who have let their daily habits begin to erode the otherwise healthy lives that they have or once had.
And these aren’t simply physical, but spiritual issues. Not paying attention to what we eat, and drink is no more serious a violation to the development of our lives as not making Bible reading/study, prayer, and regular fellowship with godly brothers/sisters a “habit” we regularly pursue. Learning to live a godly life involves loving the Lord our God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and body (strength).
It occurs to me that one thing that deterred my own proactive efforts to become healthier was the fact I didn’t FEEL anything negative. It’s like the moisture that’s eating the foundation of our house. Until the water begins to seep through, we don’t realize we have a problem, but by then much of the damage has been done.
What can we do? Get regular check-ups and LISTEN TO YOUR DOCTOR! READ YOUR OWN LAB REPORTS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY MEAN AND WHERE YOU’RE HEADING! Similarly, surround yourself with at least one or two people you trust to hold you accountable, not only in terms of your exercise and eating habits, but also your spiritual disciplines.
And I realize this could be a little tricky because too often we lie to ourselves. We read a few verses of the Bible or say the Lord’s prayer or some version of that when we get up and think we’re good to go. On some levels it’s like the man I heard about whose wife kept asking him if he loved her. Finally, in frustration he said to her: “Look, woman, I told you when we got married that I loved you. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know!”
My wife is a treasure not to be ignored, but so is my Savior. I tell my wife often how much I love and appreciate her, but I also tell the Lord many times a day how much He means to me; how much His loving care and bountiful provision mean to me. On some levels it’s ironic that the more my memory fades, the more passionate I’ve become to make sure I don’t slip in my walk with the Lord. My soul’s desire is to continually lift my voice in praise and adoration of my Savior every step of my journey.
The powerful words of Austin Phelps fuel my desire when he wrote: “Suffering is a wonderful fertilizer for the roots of character. The great objective of this life is character, for it is the only thing we can carry with us into eternity. And gaining as much of the highest character possible is the purpose of our trials.”
Please, I implore you! Take care of yourself – heart, mind, soul, and body!
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 