You may wonder how often the Bible talks about health. Many of us are familiar with the text about our bodies being temples, but how do we really take our health seriously? How can we treat our bodies with the utmost respect and care?
Several passages address health in the Bible. God gives us the blueprint on operating the human body, which tells us how to keep proper maintenance with our health. While the Bible doesn’t offer medical guidance, many principles emphasize maintaining good mental, physical, and spiritual health that we should all pay attention to.
According to Scripture, the key to physical and mental health can be found in the Book of Proverbs. “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity . . . This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:1-2, 8). We see directly from the Bible that obeying God’s commandments and laws lead to good health. This is why it’s important to follow God’s instructions if we want to be physically and mentally sound. We know we can trust what God has to say here because we know that He cares for us. Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
There are a number of verses in the Bible that are more direct about health. Many of these can be found as early as the time of Moses. One of those verses is Exodus 15:26, which says, “If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” Many ancient Egyptians suffered from many diseases because they didn’t comprehend the health principles given to Moses by God. One of the big reasons God cares about our health is because the less attention we give to our physical well-being, the less time we can give to the people that matter the most in our lives. First Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” When we think about our loved ones' health, we want to make sure they are as healthy as possible. It’s important that we set the example. We can only do this when we value our well-being and take our health seriously.
Our health is so important to God that He tells us that our body is His temple. We are commanded not to consume things that will harm us because we are so precious to Him. The reality is we will face temptation in our daily lives, but we will feel so much better when we are ingesting the right things. We are told to honor our temple in order to enter His. Another reason our physical health is so important is that it glorifies Him. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” It’s important that we glorify God in all ways, including how we live our lives. If you are not making your health a top priority, you are limiting yourself. When you choose a diet and exercise regimen, it is one of the greatest gifts you can give to God.
Remember, God, promises us blessings. The commandments we are given concerning our physical health are for our own spiritual good. We can’t forget that the enemy will try to sabotage us on our walk. He wants to break us down physically and stop us from living our best lives and being our best selves. If you find yourself tempted to eat more, or be lazy, rest assured that God wants more for your life.
Ultimately, the Bible teaches that those who follow God will generally be healthy on the topic of health. This doesn’t mean that those who don’t follow God will be sick or that God’s people will be free of disease. Third, John 1:2 says, “I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” While God has a particular interest in our spiritual health, our physical well-being is incredibly important to Him as well.
God is called the Great Physician for a reason. There are many accounts throughout Scripture of Jesus healing people. He was sent into the world by God to health the brokenhearted and restore His people's health. Jesus healed our wounds. Even when we are facing challenges in our lives, know that God has the power to restore us. Turn to Him today for health and healing.
It’s imperative that we take our health seriously if we want to live a life that truly glorifies God. If we don’t take our physical, mental, or spiritual well-being seriously, we will begin to breakdown. We won’t take care of the people that matter to us most, which will only cause greater issues for us later in life. If you know you are consuming something that is harmful, consider how many years you may be taking away from your life from consuming that thing. When we keep these things in focus, we can begin to live our best lives.
