Pastor's Pastor

Man—God’s masterpiece of creation

God longs for each of us to experience excellent physical health.

Mervyn G. Hardinge, MD, DrPH, PhD, was director of the General Conference Health Ministries Department prior to retirement. This is a posthumous column.

“You made all the delicate, inner parts
of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s
womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully
complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how
well I know it.
You watched me as I was being
formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of
the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in
your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed”
(Ps. 139:13–16).1

When God created each of us in His own image, He lifted us above all other animal creation. When the early astronomers were attempting to count the sparkling stars, they were forced to change their estimates by ever-increasing scales. This has been a similar experience for the “microastronomers” of the human body. Every part they have examined has revealed more and more complexity and detail! Even the most complex circuitry designed by large teams of humans today is rather simple compared to the marvelous systems of our bodies.

We all should heed the words of God to Job: “ ‘Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God!’ ” (Job 37:14).

When we purchase an automobile, computer, television—or even a new pet, we take great care to get the manufacturer’s instructions on its care and upkeep. Amazingly, we pay careful attention to the care and upkeep of these purchases. Yet, how careless we often are with the bodies and minds God has given us. If it were not for the tremendous adaptability of our bodies, many who are alive today, enjoying varying degrees of health and strength, would long since have been buried beneath the sod.

Beginning in Genesis and continuing throughout Scripture are revealed detailed instructions on the care and maintenance of God’s gift to us—our bodies and minds. Each aspect of the care and maintenance of ourselves is included. These are summarized in the words of Paul: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Pastors have a special responsibility to be knowledgeable about the laws of health. “The ministers in our land need to become acquainted with the science of physiology. Then they will be intelligent in regard to the laws that govern physical life, and their bearings upon the health of mind and soul. Then they will be able to speak correctly upon this subject. In their obedience to physical laws, they are to hold forth the word of life to the people, and lead up higher and still higher in the work of reform.”2

Too often we take our health for granted. We may pray earnestly to be protected from sickness. “God will not work a miracle to keep those from sickness who have no care for themselves, but are continually violating the laws of health, and make no effort to prevent adisease. When we do all we can on our part to have health, then we may expect that the blessed results will follow, and we can ask God in faith to bless our efforts for the preservation of health. He will then answer our prayer, if His name
can be glorified thereby.”3

God longs for each of us to experience excellent physical health. “Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit” (3 John 2).

Today, our world is filled with so many false suggestions as to how we can transgress the basic laws of health and still have a perfectly operating body! Yet we, who are entrusted with the greatest message for this time, should keep our bodies blameless and in perfect health, that we can carry forward the message of salvation in a soon coming Savior to the best of our abilities.

We each must ask God for strength to demonstrate our faith by our actions in heeding the “still small voice” that always speaks to us in clear and certain terms, “This is the way, walk ye in it” (Isa. 30:21, KJV). May we each offer our bodies and minds to God as “a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable” (Rom. 12:1).


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Mervyn G. Hardinge, MD, DrPH, PhD, was director of the General Conference Health Ministries Department prior to retirement. This is a posthumous column.

September 2016

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