Tag: God’s design for living

Designer Principle #1: Living Under God’s Design

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Living Under God’s Design

As we discuss the following health principles, we need to be guided in our thinking regarding man’s proper place in the overall scheme of God’s creation.

The Design

God has designed a world and the creatures in it to live under absolute, fixed boundaries and laws. It is a world based upon the pure, excellent wisdom of God. It is a world of harmony in all its facets. Each part of God’s creation works in harmony with another part. Man in the center of His creation needs to understand his place and how he best functions in God’s world.

Read Psalms 104 for an amazing picture of God’s hand over His creation and how He has established an order for its proper function. Here are a few highlights taken from the passage:

    • Bless the Lord oh my soul…You are very great!
    • Stretching out heaven like a curtain
    • He established the earth upon its foundations
    • The mountains rose…to the place You established for them.
    • He sends forth springs in the valleys…they give drink to every beast of the field.
    • He waters the mountains…The earth is satisfied with the fruits of His works.
    • He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man,
      • so that he may bring forth food from the earth
      • and wine which makes man’s heart glad
      • and food which sustains man’s heart
    • He made the moon for its seasons
    • The sun knows the place of its setting.
    • You appoint darkness and it becomes night
    • When the sun rises…man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening

There is so much wisdom for living in this passage. I highly recommend reading it in its entirety. Click Here to read it now. Though we are not going to dissect this passage at the moment, we are presenting an idea: the idea that God does have a perfect plan for living, a plan that was designed at creation, updated at the flood, and manifest through the whole of Scripture. It is this design that we are going to explore on this site.

Psalm 145:17 – The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy (gracious) in all His works.

The Living

Once we discover this perfect plan for living, we must appropriate and apply what we know to be true, i.e. live it. In this way alone can true harmony with the wisdom that God has established for creation exist, so as not to violate His natural and physical laws, lessening or eliminating the associated diseases and illnesses. This will take the spiritual fruit of self-control (and faith – Proverbs 3:5-8).

Prov. 25:28 – Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit.

Consider this illustration titled Walls [1]:

The dictionary provides several definitions for discipline. The first is punishment, but the dictionary’s second definition is richer: Training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. 

Discipline, in other words, is training in virtue and self-control. If we say that someone is a disciplined person, we mean he is self-controlled. How important is self-control? Proverbs 25:28 says: Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control (NIV). 

A strong, safe, well-guarded city in biblical times had high, thick walls to thwart invaders. Enemies had to camp in the vulnerable open and send troops rushing toward the gates with battering rams. The city’s defensive forces could shoot well-aimed arrows and repulse the enemy. The population felt safe, because the walls were unassailable.

But if the walls collapsed like those of Jericho, the enemy could waltz right in, rape the women, loot the stores, kill the men, massacre the children, and burn the town.

Proverbs 25 says that a person’s self-discipline is his defense in life. The devil can’t touch a self-controlled, well-disciplined person. But if we’re undisciplined, prone to indulge our appetites, doing what we feel like doing, exercising little self-control, then Satan doesn’t even have to fire a shot. He can stroll into our lives and do whatever he wishes. That’s why Peter wrote: Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.

Galatians 5:22, 23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

How do we walk by the Spirit?

Galatians 24,25: Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 

Only through the strength of our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ.

What you should have gleaned from this post:

  1. God has a perfect design for living
  2. We must apply His design to our life through self-control and the power of Christ
  3. And inferred are the rewards of improved health

Next: Principle #2: Simplicity Under God’s Design

Return To: Biblical Health Study

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[1] Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes, Robert J. Morgan, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville. p590


Disclaimer:

Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.

This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our affiliate policy.


Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.


Copyright:

© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
All Rights Reserved

Why Am I Sick? Reason #7: The Curse and Hereditary Weakness, Part B

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Part B: Sickness by Violating God’s Design

We can become sick because we violate God’s design in how we live or eat.

This can occur through neglect or ignorance. We can violate God’s design by willfully participating or not participating in actions that can harm or improve our health. Or we can violate God’s design simply because we don’t know what His design is.

Violating Foods

One example is the foods we eat. Perhaps we know that eating fast food on a regular basis is not good for our health, yet we do it anyway. This would be an example of neglect.

On the other hand, we may not be aware that white bread is poisonous, so we eat gladly. This is an example of ignorance.

Whether we eat neglectfully or ignorantly, we can have the same result: poor health.

Consider II Kings 4:38-41. The men in this passage made a stew. They had no knowledge that it was poisonous. Before they ate, they recognized that there was “death in the pot,” and Elisha made it edible. Many times the food we eat is nothing more than “death in the pot,” but we eat it without thought.

Sometimes the food we eat is not even worthy to be called food, but unfortunately we still eat it. We will suffer in our bodies the consequences of eating poisonous foods, even if the poison produces only a slow death.

Sexual Sin

Another example of how we can become sick by violating God’s design is through the consequences of sexual sin.

Consider the following passages:

Romans 1:26-27  clearly states that there is a penalty received in the body for exchanging the “natural” with the “unnatural”. This physical penalty could very well be sexually transmitted disease, including, but not limited to AIDS.

I Corinthians 6:18 calls immorality  a “sin” against the body. The result of immorality? Sexually transmitted disease is a high probability. There may be other effects on the body that we don’t even know about.  Immorality is definitely a violation of God’s design for intimacy.

General Violations

Aside from the above specific principles, there is a general all inclusive principle known as “reaping what you sow.”

Galatians 6:7-8 teaches that whatever we do, whether good or bad, we will reap the appropriate reward. If we fail to understand and follow God’s general design for living, we will reap the negative consequences in our life. On the flip side, if we learn to live under God’s design, we will also reap the benefits.

Topics that could be included under this heading are exercise, drug use or abuse, alcoholism, attitudes, sunshine, cleanliness, and so on.

We are getting close to wrapping up the seven biblical reasons for illness. We have talked a lot so far about “living under God’s design.” In future articles, we will be sharing specific ways to live purposely under God’s design.

Next: Why Am I Sick? Seven Biblical Reasons: Conclusion

Return To: Biblical Health Study


Disclaimer:

Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.

This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our affiliate policy.


Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.


Copyright:

© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
All Rights Reserved