Wednesday, October 9, 2013

What The Bible Says About Healthy Living


Do you ever wonder if the Bible has anything to say about healthy living? We do know the Bible teaches us to love our parents (even our enemies), to be good stewards of our money, gives references to marriage and other life principles. We do so for our own good and for His glory. How can we be a part of advancing His kingdom if we are a slave to financial debt? Likewise, how can we be of any use to His kingdom, if we're a slave to pleasure or using our bodies for self-indulgence? So we should also be good stewards with our body, taking care of it for our good and His glory. 

"Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live." - Isaiah 55:2-3

The food industry is a billion dollar business. The food pyramid that was otherwise a reference as to how we should eat was not created based on scientific research but government politics. We are told to eat one thing today and another thing tomorrow. But the Bible never changed. This Bible-based book "What the Bible Says About Healthy Living" explains how we are to eat based on God's plan for us and how we are to view healthy living biblically.

It is based on three simple principles:

1. Eat the foods the way God created. God never intended for us to eat food made by man such as processed foods or drinks.

2. Don't alter God's design. Eat foods that are naturally grown or raised. Not genetically modified food.

3. Don't let any food or drink become your idol. An idol is anything that you find more important than God. It displeases God if we give more time and resources to living healthy yet we don't have time to spend in the Word, not tithe, or damage relationships with other people.

These basic principles really resonate in my heart. Eating healthy doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. I had always wondered what I would be eating if I cannot cook with processed food, sauces, or drinks. But a year into doing it, I find that cooking with fresh ingredients actually make meal planning very simple and it has really simplified my grocery shopping and thus my kitchen. I have less things on the counter and cabinets and I love it that way. Saving the money that would otherwise go into buying processed food or drinks, has allowed us to re-direct the money to buy grass-fed milkeggs or beef and other organic food. I've come to believe that following these guiding principles not only make us healthy, it is first and foremost pleasing to God when we take care of our body the way He intended.

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols." - 1 John 5:21


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