“All should have an intelligent knowledge of the human frame that they may keep their bodies in the condition necessary to do the work of the Lord. The physical life is to be carefully preserved and developed that through humanity the divine nature may be revealed in its fullness. The relation of the physical organism to the spiritual life is one of the most important branches of education. . . . All need to become acquainted with their physical structure and the laws that control natural life. He who remains in willing ignorance of the laws of his physical being and who violates them through ignorance is sinning against God. All should place themselves in the best possible relation to life and health.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 348
We have a responsibility to God to take care of our physical bodies. It becomes a sin to us if we violate the laws of nature, and allow our bodies to become enfeebled and diseased through neglect of the laws of health. It is as great a sin to ignore the laws that govern our health as it is to break one of the Ten Commandments. We cannot continue to abuse our physical health, and denying the significance of our decision. “A continual transgression of nature’s laws is a continual transgression of the law of God.” –Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, p. 8
“It is a truly a sin to violate the laws of our being as it is to break the Ten Commandments. To do either is to break God’s laws. Those who transgress the law of God in their physical organism, will be inclined to violate the law of God spoken from Sinai.” –Ibid., p. 53
The physical health of an individual involves many components, both internal to the person, and external, in the environment. Some aspects of our physical health are not under our control. These include such things as our biological makeup. We are born with certain tendencies towards health or illness. This is something that we cannot modify or change. An individual can be predisposed to certain illnesses such as diabetes and cancer from birth. Inherited tendencies are the result of passing on the weaknesses of the parents to the children, and even to subsequent generations.
An external component of our health is our environment. This include basic needs such as access to fresh water and nutritious food. Depending on where we live our health can be affected by pollutants and toxins. Those living in large cities are more likely to be exposed to air pollution than those who live in the country. Most times we are not able to make changes to our living environment. If possible, we can mitigate the impact that our environment has on our health by choosing to live in an area that provides benefits and reduces risk. However, many people cannot choose where they live.
Another external determinant of health is the healthcare organization of the country we live in. How accessible is health care? Do we have the ability to have our health assessed on a regular basis, is screening available to rule out diseases, and if we become ill, do we have access to doctors, and treatments? Countries which provide free and universal access to healthcare have populations that are healthier than in countries where healthcare is limited, or is only available to those who are wealthy.
The final determinant of health which we do have control over is our lifestyle. There are many lifestyle choices that we make that determine whether we are healthy or whether we develop diseases. Many illness are as a direct result of our choices. Thus, health is maintained through biology, the practice of medicine, through laws which govern the health of the environment, and our own individual effort.
Often as Reformers we are very mindful of certain components of our physical health, such as adhering to a healthy diet, as our way of taking care of our physical health. But, is it enough to be a vegetarian or even a vegan? Are we doing enough to be physically healthy just
by ensuring we eat a healthy diet? Our diet is definitely one component that impacts our physical health, but it is not enough. There are many other ways also in which we can take the initiative to improve our health. These include getting adequate sleep, reducing stress, and avoiding bad habits.
The next set of articles will focus on one aspect of our physical health that often gets overlooked, and this is our physical activity and physical fitness. As an introduction, let us see what the Bible tells us about physical activity.
In Genesis chapter 1, the very first thing that God gave man for his physical health was guidelines on what he should eat. “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” Genesis 1:29
After God created man, He also planted a garden from him to live in. “And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom He had formed. . . . And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” Genesis 2:8, 15. God provided manual labour for man. Adam was commanded to look after the garden. God knew that Adam could not be happy without some kind of employment. No sooner had God created him, than He gave him his appointed work. Had happiness consisted of doing nothing, man would have been left unemployed.
“Work is not a curse, but a blessing. God gave sinless Adam and Eve a beautiful garden to tend. This was pleasant work, and none but pleasant work would have entered our world had not the first pair transgressed God’s commandments.” –Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 147
From the very beginning, God gave man work to do, something to keep him physically active. Man was not to sit in idleness, just gazing at and enjoying the works of God’s hands. No; he was to labour to maintain the garden where he was placed.
What happened when sin entered into the earth? Did God’s guidelines for physical labour change?
“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Genesis 3:17–19
The Spirit of Prophecy states that the man’s work in the Garden of Eden, before sin entered, was “pleasant.” Now, after sin came into the world, man would labour “in the sweat of thy face”. The work given to man was no longer pleasant, but a hardship. And, not only would man struggle to provide for himself and his family, but thorns and thistles would also rise up, to pollute the crops; men would continually need to remove these unwanted weeds from his fields. But, we see that it was in God’s mercy that man would now need to work hard.
“From that time the race would be afflicted by Satan’s temptations. Instead of the happy labor heretofore appointed them, anxiety and toil were to be their lot. . . . And the life of toil and care which was henceforth to be man’s lot was appointed in love. It was a discipline rendered needful by his sin, to place a check upon the indulgence of appetite and passion, to develop habits of self-control. It was a part of God’s great plan of man’s recovery from the ruin and degradation of sin.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 59–60
Thus, instead of it being a curse, having to experience a life of hard labour, it would be a blessing, to prevent idleness. There is a famous saying we have all heard many times. “The devil finds work for idle hands”. This is not a direct quote from the Bible, but Sister White confirms to us that this is so. “Delicate idleness and selfish gratification make invalids; they can make the life empty and barren in every way. God has not given human beings reason, and crowned their lives with His goodness, that they may be cursed with the sure results of idleness.” –Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 147
We have the example of the great wickedness of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. The inhabitants were very wealthy; everything they could possibly want, their luxuries and treasures, could be obtained without labour. They had become rich and idle; the lives of these inhabitants was continual feasting and parties. “This was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters.” Ezekiel 16:49. Their useless, idle life made them prey to Satan’s temptations, and they defaced the image of God, and became satanic rather than divine.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 156
Jesus, in His early life, was an example to all of humanity as to the benefit of useful labour. He was obedient and helpful in the home. He learned the carpenter’s trade, and worked with His own hands in the little shop at Nazareth. Thus as a young man, Satan could not tempt Him through a life of idleness. “As He worked in childhood and youth, mind and body were developed. He did not use His physical powers recklessly, but gave them such exercise as would keep them in health, that He might do the best work in every line. . . . By precept and example Christ has dignified useful labour.” –the Adventist Home, p. 507
“Diligent labor keeps many, young and old, from the snares of him who ‘finds some mischief still or idle hands to do.’ Let no one be ashamed of work, for honest toil is ennobling. While the hands are engaged in the most common tasks, the mind may be filled with high and holy thoughts.” –The Youth’s Instructor, Feb 27, 1902
We also have the example of Paul, who, not only spent his life in missionary endeavours, but also continued to engage in his craft of tent making to support himself financially. This was physically taxing work. He was teaching through example that those working in missionary lines also needed to work their physical bodies. Too much focus on intellectual attainments at the expense of physical activity would cause an imbalance in the body. “He desired to teach young ministers that by working with their hands, by bringing into exercise their muscles and sinews, they would become strong to endure the toils and privations that awaited them in the gospel field. And he realized that his own teachings would lack vitality and force if he did not keep all parts of the system properly exercised.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 352
Paul recognized the value of exercising, not only his mind, but his body. During his sojourns he often had to go without food, was beaten, and had to travel many miles as he took the message of the gospel throughout the Gentile lands. Paul needed a significant degree of physical ability to endure the toll on his physical body through trials and temptations. If Paul had not worked to maintain his physical strength, his usefulness as a missionary for Christ would have been diminished.
“The misuse of our physical powers shortens the period of time in which our lives can be used for the glory of God. And it unfits us to accomplish the work God has given us to do… By neglecting physical exercise, by overworking mind or body, we unbalance the nervous system. Those who thus shorten their lives and unfit themselves for service by disregarding nature’s laws, are guilty of robbery toward God. And they are robbing their fellow men also. The opportunity of blessing others, the very work for which God sent them into the world, has by their own course of action been cut short. And they have unfitted themselves to do even that which in a briefer period of time they might have accomplished. The Lord holds us guilty when by our injurious habits we thus deprive the world of good.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 346. This is a strong statement regarding effects of the physical feebleness and shortened life that is brought about by neglecting our physical health. If we damage our health we are breaking the 8th commandment. We are committing robbery towards God if we deprive the world of the good that we might have done if we had not abused our bodies and left us unfit for His service.
Thus, the physical exercise that was so beneficial to mankind, even before sin entered into the world, to keep the body healthy, is even more necessary today for our health. We must also protect our spiritual health by keeping busy, and avoiding the idleness that brings about evil acts and thoughts.
“Man came from the hand of the Creator perfect in every organization and beautiful in form. The fact that he has for six thousand years withstood the ever-increasing weight of disease and crime is conclusive proof of the power of endurance with which he was first endowed. . . . Had Adam originally possessed no greater physical power than men now have, the race would ere this have become extinct.”–Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, p. 7
Physical activity, which leads to physical well-being (fitness), is an important component of physical health. However, most of us no longer need to tax ourselves physically to provide for our basic needs, and physical activity is no longer part of our daily routine. Thus, we need to ensure that regular physical activity is one of the lifestyle choices we make to ensure good health.
NEXT MONTH: IMPACT OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE ON HEALTH