Health...a Biblical Perspective

Health...what does that mean exactly? This is what the 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language says about it:

HEALTH, n. helth. [from heal.] That state of an animal or living body, in which the parts are sound, well organized and disposed, and in which they all perform freely their natural functions. In this state the animal feels no pain. This word is applied also to plants.

          1. Sound state of the mind; natural vigor of faculties.
          2. Sound state of the mind, in a moral sense; purity; goodness.
                  There is no health in us.
          3. Salvation or divine favor, or grace which cheers God's people. Ps.43,
          4. Wish of health and happiness; used in drinking.
                  Come, love and health to all; an elliptical phrase, for, I wish health to you.

I completed a word study on this term in 2009 because natural health has been a passion of mine. Word studies are a great way to get a deeper meaning out of something and to be able to search God's Word. Researching the Scriptures helps you find the Biblical purpose and origin of any term or subject that you are studying. So, as I defined those key words that are underlined above, I then researched the Scriptures. These are just a few things that God says about health in His Word:

• Gen. 2:7 - "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
• Matt. 10:28 - "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
• 1 Cr. 6:19 - "What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

After this research, you are able to reason through what has been shown to you and relate it to your life. The whole process of this is called 4-R'ing (research, reason, relate and record). In conclusion, this is what I came up with in regards to "health":

"Health begins with God forming us and breathing life into us. There is an internal and external aspect to our health that affects each other. God gave us our body and formed it perfectly to function as it needs to live. God also gave us a soul to complete our living body. Our bodies can be healthy or it can be sick, determining how we take care of it. We have a choice. It is seen how God cares about us by looking at how He formed us perfectly and how everything works together as it should. It's important that we take care of what He has given us. We must take care of our physical bodies as well as our soul."

I encourage you to do a word study of your own on any topic that interests you. Through that, God will show you so much as you "commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established." (Proverbs 16:3)

Philosophy of Education...Simple, But Not Easy

What is your philosophy of education? Have you even thought about that? You may be asking, what do you mean by having a philosophy of education? To understand what I mean, you have to define "philosophy" and "education" from the 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary.

• Philosophy = The love of wisdom; an explanation of the reason of things.

• Education = The bringing up, as of a child, instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations.

If you ponder those definitions and allow the Lord to guide you through His Word with them, you can come up with your own Philosophy of Education. By doing this, it will give you wisdom that governs all of your choices and decisions that you make for instruction and discipline. It will give you a vision to aim for as you strive to give a Christian education. As you are submitted to God's Word, make it the heart of education so that it produces a Biblical Christian Worldview in yourself and in your children. Your philosophy of education should be rooted in the authority of God's Word. We must cultivate the hearts and minds of our children by instilling Truth in their hearts.

The Lord has simply given us His Word, but this is not easy! We, as parents, have to begin by continually renewing our minds and being transformed into His likeness. Parenting and teaching are heart-to-heart. It takes diligence, perseverance and seeking the Lord to do so. As I write this, I am convicted because I know what I ought to do, yet don't. Just like what Paul says in Romans 7:19, "For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice". I am challenged to not follow my own flesh, but to follow the will of God and walk in obedience. Oh, I need His help daily to do so!

It is my prayer that, through the Lord's help, our children will be raised with a desire to be more like Jesus. That they will grow and become strong in spirit, just as Jesus did. That they will be filled with wisdom, just as Jesus was. That the grace of God will be upon them, just as Jesus had. ~Luke 2:40