For they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. (Prov. 4:22)
SO MANY HEALTH THEORIES. How do we know if we should eat more protein or vegetables? Do we exercise by walking or weight lifting? Eat your super foods. Keep your cell phone away from your brain. So many fears and theories on what’s healthy. But Proverbs offers us words for a healthy breakfast.
How do words, even wise ones, feed our bodies and souls? Wisdom teaches us to guard our hearts (v. 23). The word for heart in the Old Testament includes emotions, passions, thoughts, attitudes, and even what we would call soul. It begins to make sense, then, that if we follow the wisdom path from Scripture, we will make better choices and reap healthier outcomes.
In Proverbs, the fool gives no thought to the future and none at all to possible consequences. The fool chooses the easy path rather than discipline and ultimately reaps an unhealthy lifestyle. We try to ignore wisdom and hope to avoid the consequences of poor choices. However, God marvelously designed our bodies to function in predictable ways that allow no free passes for overindulgence. Who knew that God’s Word could even promote optimal health? Ummm . . . God did.
Try some Proverbs for breakfast.
Kathy Bence lives in Idaho with her professor husband, Phil.
