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NUTRITIONAL LIFE SUPPORT
In my day to day adventures in the health and wellness world I come across many people who are on nutritional life support and don’t even know it. They are feeding their bodies all the “right stuff”, seeing their local primary care physician for answers and really believe they are on the correct path for healthy living. They follow their doctor’s instructions to the letter and are sold on the idea that regardless of their current health status, all will be well in the future. After all they are doing all the right things in the physical world. Ah, but therein lies the problem. There are two other parts of the puzzle that are totally ignored. When I say “ignored” I mean that lip service may be given but no real effort is being made to understand these parts and their interrelationship to the whole body.
First we need to understand that humans are more than a one dimensional being. Some even believe we are a two dimensional being; mind (soul) and body. Fewer yet believe we are a three part being; spirit, mind (soul), and body. Very few believe that all three parts need equal attention in order to be totally healthy and in harmony with themselves, others and God.
As we go through life, great emphasis is placed on us concerning our soul, which is our mind, will and emotions. Our schooling is geared towards exercising our minds with information and knowledge. “Knowledge is power” the world says. Our station in life is formed by our ability to use this knowledge within the framework of society. In order to “fit in” we must learn to use our emotions correctly so as to be an asset to our fellow workers, friends, and family.
During this time of growth and development of our lives very little attention has been paid to our bodies. Yes, we have “worked out” to carve a pleasing body shape when we were young. We were active and felt great. Life was wonderful and felt like it would be this way forever. We ate what smelled good, tasted good, and looked good with little regard to its impact on this body we live in. Did I say “live in”? Therein is the crux of the matter. The care we gave to our bodies had very little to do with the real underlying principles needed for optimal health.
We are a spirit living in a body that has a soul. The spirit which is life gives all the instructions to function on this planet. These instructions are translated through the soul and become visible in this physical world. As Dr. Caroline Leaf has so aptly stated, all actions start with a thought which translates into an emotion, which becomes an attitude, manifested by a behavior, and seen as an action by the physical world. This action can be either detrimental or encouraging to our end goals. According to psychologists and psychiatrists, 70% of our thinking is redundant or counterproductive to our end goal (Dr. Bruce Lipton).
In real life situations we are concerned about a job and advancing our careers, raising a family, getting along with people, and going to church. We study or take training to better our job because that means more money for other things. Raising a family consumes our time and resources so we sometimes opt for the most convenient methods regardless of the long term health implications. We are in a “fix it now” mood to offset the incoming pressures from other areas. If something can be fixed in 5 minutes, fine, or use our favorite words, “I’ll take care of that or deal with that tomorrow”. As we all know, tomorrow never comes. Church time… well, we spend lots of time developing our spiritual awareness and knowledge because we have been taught that God is worthy of praise and worship.
So where does this leave our body? Since we have not had any real problems with it so far we think that it can keep right on going regardless of the load placed on it. Some issues start at an early age and others start manifesting later. But sooner or later the hammer will drop and when it does we wonder how we got there… one day at a time neglecting the basic principles of good health and wholeness. Our response is to see the “authority” in this field, Dr. MD, DO, ND, etc. They are very good with their diagnostic equipment to tell us what is wrong with our body. They are not very good at telling us the real “why”.
Due to our lack of really being interested in our body (truth hurts), because after all it has functioned very well for a long time, we have very little knowledge as to how it works and functions. To the doctor we say, “Doc just tell me what you think I need and I will do it.” Does the doctor know your spirit or soul? Does he know what makes you tick? Does he know the stresses in your life? Does he know your relationships? Does he know the inner workings of your life? Does he know your heart-felt emotions?
These are questions most doctors have to answer, “No.” He has only been trained in the physical manifestations. The psychiatrist and psychologist only know the surface of the mind. They know nothing of the spirit realm. Only God knows the heart of a man. As the Word states, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God on the heart”( 1 Sam. 16:7).
The body is not the problem. You are the answer to your body’s problem. You are not your body. You live in a body. The user’s manual is the Word of God or more commonly known as the Believer’s Instructions Before Leaving Earth or B.I.B.L.E. In there you will find every detailed instruction for maintaining your portable habitation. It will tell you how to think and what to eat to keep your body in peace and harmony and functioning on all cylinders. The body was not designed to handle stress, anxiety, or fear in any form. The internal components will ultimately fail in such an environment. Chronic stress is the number one killer of mankind. Stress corrupts the spirit, mind, and body causing a spiraling down effect into chaos, confusion, and chronic degeneration of the being. When the three elements of our being are splintered and not in harmony, all three parts function without defined direction so no direction is given. The body, if not given the proper guided instructions, falls into disrepair and starts to decay while still living. The mind, if not given the proper instructions from the spirit, loses hope, becomes non-focused, unstable in its thinking, unable to give good instructions to the body, becomes introverted with self-consuming guilt, doubt, pity, feeling unloved, worthless, and ultimately self-hatred. The spirit if not under the control or influence of God becomes dead to spiritual instruction from God. Input from the spirit world, but not from God, leads to a path of destruction for the soul and body. Our being was ONLY designed to receive instruction from God. Any other input or instruction destroys our being. It is like a key being forced into a lock not designed for it. The key will break and the door lock will become jammed and non-functional.
Now the good news. There is hope! 1 Thes. 5:13 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. “ In the BIBLE are the instructions. If we understood the importance of honoring our Father we would do what He has ask us to do. Romans 12:1 “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (NLT)
Nutritional life support is what I call it when a person wants their body whole but is ignorant or unwilling to change the lifestyle that brought about the medical condition in the first place. This is placing the cart before the horse. Remember, balance is everything. Feed your spirit which will feed your mind which will feed your body the nutritional support it needs and your body will give you a big “Thank You”.
If you were given a new expensive car providing you maintain it, most of you would. You would read the owner’s manual and learn where all the switches, knobs and functional items are in the car. You would read the maintenance schedule and take it in for a “look see” by the mechanic. Tires would be rotated; oil and the filter changed; radiator flushed and new anti-freeze added; new air filter installed; transmission checked and the “98 point” inspection by the dealer (who is the representative of the manufacture, if you get my drift). For the “life” of the car there would be periodical checks at given mileage intervals. Plus on a weekly basis you are expected to add the proper gas, window washer fluid, check air pressure in the tires, and wash and clean the exterior/ interior.
Your body is a gift from God to be a habitation for Him and you. He has given you specific talents and abilities to fit within your body. These talents and abilities are all in the right proportions to the framework in which they are housed. As a gift, God is only asking you to be a good steward of this arrangement. The BIBLE states that we are to be good students of the BIBLE; “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Ti. 2:15). This is more than “spiritual” knowledge, but wisdom in a very practical sense. Would you have a treasured, respected family member live with you in a proverbial “dump” of your own making? Of course not! You would clean, paint, repair the steps, oil the front door hinges, clean the bathrooms, clean the front yard and most importantly prepare a bedroom for your beloved family member. As King David said, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvelous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knows right well” (Psalm 139:14). Treasure your gift and it will perform splendidly and for many many worry free years. In fact, it will perform right up to the day your ministry is done and God says to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of your lord” (Matt. 25:23).
” Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers. 3 John 1:2 |
