A Year of Good Health

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.  (Proverbs 3:7-8)

The new year is a time of “New Year’s Resolutions,” and for many, improving their health is high on the list. From beginning a new exercise routine to eating a healthier diet, health is one of those high priority items. How about you? What are you resolving to do in 2017 as it relates to your health—to add years to your life and life to your years? Remember, in order to be all God is calling you to be in this New Year, you will need the physical vitality to actually do it!

Today’s passage from Proverbs talks about a health that is created by holy living, not by membership in a health club. And the key that will unlock that door of holy health is found in the word humility. To be “wise in your own eyes” is to be self-sufficient and self-reliant—the exact opposite of the spirit of humility. Self-sufficiency attacks both our advances in holiness and our advances in health, because self-sufficiency makes us sick from the inside out.

So how can you and I resolve to enjoy a year of good health in 2017? By living in a spirit of HUMILITY! When we humble ourselves before the Lord, we submit and surrender to His plan for our lives. To be sure, that includes engaging in consistent exercise, getting adequate rest, and taking in the proper nutrition. Putting these practices into place gives us the best opportunity for achieving the physical health and vitality we need to do all God is calling us to do. But there is another essential component that we must not miss: Humbling ourselves with the “fear of the Lord” will strengthen us to “shun evil” and stay on the course of holy living that God has called us to.

Make no mistake, physical health and spiritual health go hand in hand. Here is another Scripture verse that I pray will encourage you to pursuing a year of good health—both physically and spiritually.

Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8)

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!