A couple of years ago, my company offered a health fair in our office. Nurses and medical people came into the office and they were checking people’s blood pressure, weight, and other physical health things. Over the past few weeks, I had noticed my heart beating a little bit strong, so I went to the health fair hoping they could tell me what the problem was. It turned out that my blood pressure was REALLY high. So, they told me I needed to go to a doctor VERY soon. So, I went to the doctor and was told, “You have very high blood pressure. We’re going to prescribe you some blood pressure medication, and you’ll just have to take blood pressure meds for the rest of your life to keep your blood pressure in check.
Well, I went and got the blood pressure medication and started taking it, and it did bring my blood pressure down to a good level, but the medication made me feel ill all the time, and I thought, “there’s GOT to be a better way.” So, I decided to try just changing what I eat/drink. I stopped drinking any sodas, I stopped putting sugar in my tea, I stopped eating junk food all the time, and I started eating more vegetables and drinking juice a lot. AND – I stopped taking the blood pressure medication. Sure enough, in a matter of weeks, my blood pressure was back to where it was supposed to be – WITHOUT the medication.
All I had to do was change the way I ate. The doctors didn’t even ask me what I ate. They just told me “Take blood pressure medication”. As far as they were concerned, it didn’t matter what I ate or drank. They had a “Fix” for the issue – Medication. And, although the medication would have helped keep my blood pressure better in check, it would have made me sick all the time. It was a LOT better to just give up some things – since they were the cause of my high blood pressure in the first place.
Many people in this world have a “Fix” for not living the way GOD tells us to live. They think, “Well, if this church preaches against stuff that I don’t want to hear about, I’ll just go find a church that doesn’t preach that.” “If this book about living the Christian life tells me I need to stop doing this or that…I’ll just throw the book away, and go find a book written by someone who agrees that I can do whatever I want.”
The Bible PLAINLY tells us HOW we are to live this life as a Christian. There is NO OTHER WAY to be successful in the Christian life than to do WHAT GOD SAYS. And to STOP doing what is wrong and against God’s Word. Oh, we can find all sort of excuses to keep doing certain things, but they will also keep dragging us down if we keep doing them.
Romans 12:1,2 tells us, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Be TRANSFORMED – CHANGE how you live! Start following CHRIST!!
I had to make some changes in the way I lived – but it is worth it. Now, my health is much better, because of the changes I made. And the same is TRUE in our walk with God. The Bible says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8) If we are commanded to draw near to God…that means we are not naturally “Near” Him…we have to make an effort to DRAW closer. But ALL of the EFFORT it may take is WELL WORTH IT.