The old adage is true in almost everything: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
If you know anything about physical health you know that prevention is key. It saves you money. It saves you in pain, injury, and early death. It can even save other people money (insurance companies, employers, etc.). If you have a concern about your physical health, you generally head right to the doctor. If the concern is serious enough, you may call an ambulance. Whatever the matter, you will most likely see a qualified physician, they’ll probably take down some info, and check you out. The experience is quite similar to that of The Great Physician. You may know Him, His name is Jesus.
He Knows Your Name
Isaiah 43:1-2 says, “But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine.'” Jesus knows your name. Your doctor may send a nurse out to call your name from the crowd. He may need to check your file against your wrist bracelet or ask for identification. He may only spend a moment with you, but Jesus wants to spend all His moments with you, and He calls you Himself.
He Knows Your Heart
Proverbs 21:2 says, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.” Jesus knows our hearts. He knew the hearts of those who wished Him harm when He walked the earth, and He knew those who were righteous in spirit. He still does. Even when we’re in denial about our spiritual health, God knows. We can hide our poor diets and nonexistent exercise routine from our doctor, but we can’t hide our lack of prayer or apathy from God.
He Knows Your History
Matthew 7:16-17 says, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” Even if we try to hide from the truth, our actions tell all. Just as a doctor runs tests to diagnose, Jesus tells us that our fruits will reflect our health.
He Cures All
Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Our life starts and ends with a heartbeat, and so does our health. Jesus knows that our actions and spiritual health is a reflection of our heart–hot or cold (Revelation 3:16), pure (Matthew 5:8), trusting (Proverbs 3:5-6), broken (Psalm 34:18), hard (Romans 2:5), dull (Acts 28:27), and more! No matter what is the problem, He is the answer.
He Does Home Visits
Joshua said, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). We cannot depend on an annual physical to protect us from sickness or disease if we do not practice self care, adequate nutrition, and physical activity at home. We can’t depend on our weekly dose of scripture at church to keep us “heart healthy” either. We can only depend on Jesus for that.
Tips for Heart Health at Home
- Pray Daily
- Read the Bible Daily
- Make a Plan that Includes Both
- Surround Yourself with Positive Influences
- Help Others Do the Same
Don’t get discouraged. Just as it takes time for bad habits and illness to damage your body, it takes time to achieve health. Our hearts are the same. Having a relationship with the physician Himself helps the process!
