Generally, we consider an active life as healthy. In the true sense, a healthy life is a life with peace of heart and mind. Sickness, poverty, disability, losses, and failures can disturb one’s peace. In comparison, a person can lead an unhealthy life, because of worries and dissatisfaction.
When one is not in good physical health, consulting a medical doctor is customary. With the vast knowledge on this subject, the doctor will question the person to gather information to understand the root cause of the sickness. While the patient may be prescribed medication, the general advice given may be to correct habits like sleep, diet, and exercise. When these positive lifestyle recommendations are followed, the person’s well-being improves. Many medical studies document that diet and exercise improve a person’s health.
However, there can be restlessness in one’s mental and spiritual life. Will a medical doctor pose a question like, “do you often get angry?” or “do you worry about your assets?” or “are you at peace, with your spouse or in-laws?” Usually a doctor does not ask these questions.
Some of our physical ailments can be caused by our thought life. But most of us ignore this. If we analyze our innermost reactions, we can recognize and correct whatever is out of alignment. Encountering stressful situations is a common factor for all of us. But through it all, we have to learn to find peace in our heart and soul.
Healthy thinking is vital for healthy living. In what areas do your thoughts turn negative? Do you have control of them? We need to make our life a blessing to others. We should treat others the way we expect others to treat us. It is vital to forgive and not have thoughts of taking revenge. We should even try to love our enemies, which is possible when we give our control over to God. Focusing on positive thoughts helps to balance our emotions, which in turn affects our physical well-being and good health.
Many of the areas in one’s life that a doctor cannot see, are taken care of in the Word of God. For example, anger, money, marriage, relationships, and giving. The Bible shows us the importance of controlling our cravings. We can crave to eat more, spend more, and so on than what we need. It is clearly mentioned in the Bible, that scripture is God-breathed and is meant for teaching and correcting. The Book of James in the Bible gives us brilliant advice.
James 1: 23–25, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–-he will be blessed in what he does.”
When the Bible is read with an attitude to obey, it will take root in that life and will not go back to the sender empty. Since we are concerned about living a healthy life, let us take responsibility to adapt a lifestyle with healthy boundaries.
Even if we know what to do, many of us do not do it. For example, a certain person read several books about the disadvantages of smoking, yet he continues to smoke, daily. To adapt a lifestyle with healthy boundaries, let us investigate what the Word of God instructs us to do. This practice will help us to balance our needs and cravings. Since God designed us with perfect health, if we allow ourselves to be guided by the Word of God, our inner life, including our thoughts, will be transformed to maintain a healthy life.
About the Author
Lilian De Silva lives in Sri Lanka. She had written three books—The Promised Messiah, Be An Overcomer and Sing with Me which are available on Amazon, under her full name–Lilian Elizabeth De Silva. She has presented the gospel over the national radio, TV, and on stage.
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