Make more Healthy Choices

Make more Healthy Choices
… a new beginning! 
Terry R. Baughman
“I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2).
The biblical view, especially among the Hebrew people, was that humans are seen holistically. While the Greeks divided humanity into three part beings (body, soul, and spirit), there was a different view within the Jewish culture. This holistic idea is seen in the text above. Physical health is closely connected to spiritual well-being. Where one may express their desire to be physically fit while ignoring the spiritual condition, both are interconnected. John’s desire was that we might prosper in all things (financial well-being and vocational success), enjoy health in your physical being, and abounding in our spiritual pursuits as well.
As Christians we may place higher priority on spiritual pursuits and the exercise of biblical disciplines. While the Scripture does say, “Bodily exercise profits a little,” we should also understand that there are benefits to exercise, proper diet and health (1 Timothy 4:8). Elsewhere Paul stated, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God,” so we should show respect to our temple and treat it as the residence of God and a gift from Him (1 Corinthians 6:19). Bad habits, drugs and alcohol, and harmful food choices should be avoided to enhance the wellbeing of the body that God has given us.
Eating healthy is a choice that often challenges us. It seems that some people more naturally embrace a healthy diet while others are constantly tempted to indulge in unhealthy choices or behaviors. Regardless, the options are always before us. Perhaps some of the adventure we experience is that that we have a variety of alternatives available to us in so many areas of life.
While we may profess to love our couch potato persona and shun physical activities, we actually know that we would be more healthy and feel better if increased activity was integrated into our schedules. As we launch a new beginning in our life take a few moments to analyze your intake of food, your daily activities, and assess what improvements could be made that would enhance your life in a positive direction. Purpose to eat more healthy choices. Determine to park further from the door and walk a little more. Take the stairs instead of an elevator if possible. Go for a walk here enrolling an exercise class with a friend. Make some choices today to live better in the future.
As we begin to take positive steps toward better health decisions we may also find ourselves better equipped to make spiritual decisions and develop the disciplines to live a clean and holy lifestyle. The opposite affect may also be experienced. We may make some spiritual decisions and then find ourselves also examining our choices for improved health in our lifestyle. That is the holistic interconnection we will experience as we begin making crucial changes in our lives with God’s help.
Make it a goal today. Start fresh each morning and ask God for His wisdom in making more healthy life choices.


Scripture:
“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4 NIV).

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