Volume. XXVI, No. 47 How Healthy Are We? - Part OneIn these recent months, I have been concerned with my health after having undergone some medical tests and consultations with my doctor. Some of the medical issues I face may be hereditary, but they probably have been exacerbated by over consumption of much unhealthy food and snacks, the lack of exercise and proper care for the body over the years. While contemplating the need to change my diet and way of life, from unhealthy meals and snacks which I am used to and desire, to a healthier fare and life, I could not help reflecting on how relevant this also is to our Church, the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ also needs to be properly fed with the correct diet, and each part or muscle of the Body needs to be exercised in order to maintain the overall health of the Body. I believe that many who read this article will know which path I am treading, and it may be such a familiar one that there might be a tendency to simply gloss over it, but sometimes, we all need a reminder that we are all part of the Body of Christ, and where any one cell or member is unhealthy, this can spread to the rest of the Body as well. The Body needs the right and proper food in order to boost its health. In the context of the Church, this would be the spiritual food from the Word of God. It is not simply hearing it being read, or listening to a Sunday sermon, or even simply hearing someone else\'s interpretation of Bible passages, for this is spiritual milk, and not the meat as we have often been referred to in 1 Corinthians 3:2 and Hebrews 5:12-13. When we are young Christians, the milk is necessary for development, but as we grow, we need to have meat to continue our development into adulthood. What is this meat? Spiritual meat is maturity in knowledge and understanding of the Bible, about Kingdom principles, about God\'s will for each one of us, the Church, and the world. It is about knowing more than just the fact that Christ died on the cross for us, for our sins; but, why must it be so, why in such a manner, how could it be so and what impact should this have on our lives? Being able to take this spiritual meat requires us to have the dental and digestive ability required for a meat diet, and we develop such ability when we have spent time each day meditating upon and mulling over Scripture to gain personal understanding of God\'s Word. Bible Study Groups are a great help in this aspect as long as they are multi-way conversations of questions and sharing of thoughts, based on the desire to learn from one another. Be it far from me to make believe that I attend every Bible Study in Church, or have the right attitude towards Bible Study at all times, but from a Christian perspective, it is so sad when the numbers dwindle to a handful. Is this symptomatic of a lack of spiritual growth? A lack of interest in the Word of God? If you are not already attending a group where the Bible is studied and discussed, then may I encourage you to attend at least one such group, such as the neighbourhood Bible study groups, AFG, YAF, Sparks4Christ, Adult Sunday School, Men\'s or Ladies\' Fellowships, as is relevant to you. Remember that in 2 Timothy 2:15, we are called to, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." As we are fed with God\'s Word each day, like our daily meals, we also need time to exercise. For my condition, I have been told that I need to brisk walk for at least 30 to 40 minutes a day, 3 to 4 days a week, as a minimum. We need to physically exercise our body and muscles, lest we increase our girth, become less active (lazy even) and our health deteriorates. Exercise not only addresses our physical well-being, but also our mental and social well-being by reducing stress, allowing us to take a break from what may be preying on our minds, and creating better relationships when we exercise with others. In like manner, spiritual exercise is for our spiritual well-being. There are many types of spiritual exercises on which we can expend the energy we gained from the spiritual food we have consumed, which are the various Church ministries. The various ministries offer many opportunities of service for God. Yes, it will require effort, may be inconvenient at times, does take up our time, and require us to be disciplined, but so does physical exercise. Some sacrifices are necessary to improve and maintain our health. Remember the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23. The seed that fell into good ground bore much fruit, while all the other seeds were unfruitful. Service to God within the Body of Christ is the seed falling into the good ground. It is only in exercising our faith in God that we gain the benefit of seeing God working in us, learn to align our will to His will and experience the joy of serving in His great work. Is it any wonder that we read in James 2:17-20, "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" Dn Colin Gan to be continued... |
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