I was brought up with the biblical teaching of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I grew up secure. Secure with the hope of eternal life because of Christ. I’ve never struggled with fear of death, though the thought of death is unpleasant and intimidating.
But I do consider myself to have been “bitten by the bug” of the empty pursuit of immortality. And I am writing this article to warn you of where I found this “bug” lurking.
Because of childhood illnesses, I pursued alternative doctors, the only ones that helped me feel well. I am grateful for the knowledge gained from the years of seeing those doctors and I continue to use that knowledge to care for my health. But I also developed and incessant desire to constantly search for new remedies. It was as if I was constantly searching for the key, the answer to all my health problems. Yet, I began to realize that my health was good if I just went back to doing what the doctors had already taught me to do.
My Plan Wasn’t His Plan
There are many different groups that focus on educating the public on health. Many of them are led by Christians even, and many of those Christians are doing God’s will and helping God’s servants learn to lead a healthier lifestyle. I once had a great desire to be a doctor or a health coach some day in the future. God gave me a glimpse of the burden that would place on an empathetic person such as myself and I realized I wasn’t strong enough, nor did I want to carry others health burdens. That pursuit, carrying the burden of other’s health issues, would not have been God’s will for me at that time and in the way that I would have pursued it. And the truth was that I was not spiritually strong enough to handle it either.
It’s common sense that a Christian can serve God better if they are healthy enough to do so. Of course, that means taking care of their physical body enough to keep serving Christ on the earth for as long as He would have them to. So, please, do care for your health and the health of your family in a way that God would want you to.
Don’t Get Side Tracked
But if we’re not careful, Christians can get side-tracked by pursuing immortality. There are many sources where you can educate yourself on health practices. Many people follow one or a few different doctors that promote a healthy lifestyle and try to follow their advice. But where Christians must be careful is that many of these health groups and practices are founded on the pursuit of immortality because they have no hope. They don’t know a saving faith through Jesus that promises eternal life. But a Christian does have that hope of eternal security; yet if we’re not careful, we can get caught up with or “bitten by the bug” of the pursuit of immortality.
Our bodies will not live forever! But remember that many of the people you follow for your health knowledge, even Christians, have been “bitten,” or rather, they have gotten their focus off of the things that matter to God. We read in II Corinthians 4:16-18, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Our Bodies Are Temporary
Paul reminds us here that the “outward man,” the body, will perish. And that is true. But that truth terrifies the world. And for the simple fact that they don’t know Jesus. So when it comes to the health of our physical bodies, let me encourage you to not allow yourself to pursue immortality. Don’t lose your focus in the midst of the pursuit of good health, health that you need to serve the Lord.
We all get sick. We’re all going to be exposed to viruses, parasites, and toxins. But to get so caught up with pursuing the remedies to these things Is a fearful lifestyle. What if our health pursuits are taking our focus off serving God and spreading the gospel? I think the enemy would enjoy our focus being on health remedies more than God’s purpose for our lives. I’ve done health protocols that require remedies every few hours of the day, all made from scratch. And I love herbal teas and the healing properties found in many herbs, roots, and mushrooms. But it’s easy to lose focus.
I find that it’s so easy for mothers to fear for our children’s health, but if our efforts for our children’s health are being done out of fear, our focus is not where it should be. The fears of a mother for her children are a primary target for the enemy. Your children’s weaknesses will be the tools God uses to strengthen them. The Bible is very clear that the sprit of fear is not of God. We need to let go of our fears in every area of our lives and trust God. In fact, it’s a sin to not trust God. Pursue Him and His guidance. Tell Him your fears but that you want to trust Him and stand on the truths of His Word. Don’t get bitten by this bug that will steal your focus from the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
