Introduction

The subject of health preservation and taking care of the body is a great enigma. We know very well that smoking is bad for the body and detrimental to health preservation. However, in the cases I have seen, Deng Xiaoping, our great chief architect of reform and opening up, smoked, played cards, and did many things that were not conducive to health preservation, yet he lived to be over ninety years old.

Many people who care a lot about health preservation end up having health problems. We often think that health preservation is very important, but many practical examples do not conform to the principles of health preservation. Why is this so? Is health preservation and taking care of the body important or not? Let's take a look together.

Spirituality is the Key to Solving Problems

Brothers and sisters, we must break free from the enigma of health preservation. If we go back forty or fifty years, our living environment and conditions were very difficult. In the winter, it was freezing cold, and potatoes and cabbage were stored in the cellar. There wasn't much to eat, and just being able to eat enough was good enough. There was no concept of health preservation.

Back then, every household burned coal, and the snot blown out of the nose was black, and the fingernails were also full of black. There was coal smoke everywhere. In other words, the living environment in our era was terrible, the air quality was poor, but there were fewer sick people.

But today's hospitals are crowded with people, compared to the hospitals of the past, which were empty. Today, the more we focus on health preservation, the more problems we have. Some people think: But our lifespan is longer now! The lifespan is indeed longer, but to say something jokingly, if patients are kept alive with tubes, they can indeed live for many years.

Now that technology is developed and the quality of life is better, problems arise. Is taking care of the body through health preservation really that important? Everyone I have seen who cares a lot about health preservation does not end up particularly well.

Later, I gradually realized that spirituality is the key to solving problems. Why is it that with the development of science and technology and better living conditions, there are more diseases? Isn't this strange?

When I was a child, hearing about someone getting cancer or diabetes was rare. In today's generation, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are all very common. When I went to college, I had never seen a cancer patient. I didn't even know what it was. I only knew that cancer was something that doctors couldn't solve.

So let's talk about this enigma, about what we eat, what we drink, and how to take care of our bodies. Let's summarize these phenomena.

Yesterday, I drove out with some friends to take care of some things, and we talked about health preservation. I mentioned a concept: The garbage produced in our minds and thoughts far exceeds the filth brought by what we eat, drink, and use (see Matthew 18:16-20). Today, who lacks food or drink? No one! But there are more diseases, and the most deadly are mental illnesses.

One year, I returned to my hometown, and the school promoted outdoor activities. The local education bureau found that students were under great pressure. One student killed his parents and then jumped off a building. What is the root cause of the problem? It is the filth in their minds.

Today, children have a lot of things in their minds. The amount of information they come into contact with on the internet is far greater than in our era. For example, children give gifts to teachers when they go to school. The impact of thoughts on the body is very profound. The thoughts in our era were not as complicated as they are today; they were very simple.

The Best Health Preservation is to Break the Carnal Thinking Pattern

If you ask me what the best health preservation is, I will tell you that the best health preservation is actually to break the carnal. Many of our health preservation concepts are closely related to catering to the flesh. The concept in the Bible tells us that to be carnally minded is death. Many of our Christians are doing business in health preservation, but this kind of business is a great enigma.

Recently, I saw a domestic news report that the public security organs investigated a very large pyramid scheme group specializing in health care, cupping, and traditional Chinese medicine. After reading the report, I found that they are basically targeting people's health preservation and body conditioning. So doing business in health preservation and body maintenance is actually quite popular, but if this enigma is not broken, it is a very deadly thing.

What is the church doing? The church is removing the garbage in people's minds. This garbage can cause emotional fluctuations, which in turn can lead to depression, cancer, and various other diseases.

The garbage in our minds can have a profound impact on our bodies. For example, if we carry unforgiveness, anger, or hatred inside, people will get sick. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, people have seven emotions and six desires, and people's emotions are closely connected to our human organs.

For example, anger hurts the liver. If people are often angry, the liver will get sick; fear hurts the kidneys. Fear hurts the kidneys because the kidneys govern the human reproductive and excretory systems. If people are often afraid, they will develop many diseases; excessive joy hurts the heart. If people are too happy, it will hurt the heart, leading to frequent heart problems. Thoughts directly affect our emotions, and emotions affect our organs, so changing our thoughts is a very important concept.

Some time ago, I ministered to two people, one with ankylosing spondylitis and the other with severe rheumatoid arthritis. These diseases are directly related to their thoughts, especially people with joint pain, which is closely related to the unforgiveness inside them.

If people do not forgive, they will give birth to hatred. When they think that they have been taken advantage of, they will have very strong emotions, and these strong emotions will produce strong toxins, which are more toxic than the gutter oil we eat, and as a result, they will get serious joint diseases.

My childhood living environment was relatively simple, but today's environment is much more complex. In today's generation, people's minds are filled with how to make money. Under the stimulation of various factors on emotions, people produce a lot of garbage. In the past, making money was not the key. We used to believe in communism and were full of illusions about communism. Even though the environment was dirty and the conditions were poor, people lived happily.

Now, if you let me choose again, on the one hand, it is the superior modern environment, and on the other hand, it is the pressure of facing a complex environment. I would be very conflicted. Life was relatively simple in the past. Today, when we talk about health preservation, we must grasp the essence of health preservation. If some of us are still spending a lot of effort on this food, I advise you to save your mind. Because these things are basically ineffective. Why are they ineffective? Because the health and the roots of diseases in our body are closely related to the spiritual realm.

Last week, we talked about disease. The essence of disease is closely related to the spiritual realm, and the spirit is closely related to people's thoughts. The Bible says that to be carnally minded is death. Those who are carnally minded think from a carnal perspective, and this kind of thinking pattern will definitely have many problems. Today, we must remove the carnal thinking pattern. As a man thinks in his heart, so he is.

Health Comes from Not Catering to the Flesh

In my Bible studies and sermons, I often cite examples I have witnessed since childhood. There were twin brothers who were frail from a young age. Their parents devoted great care to them. Later, the elder brother was sent to the People's Armed Police (PAP).

Two years later, the brother in the PAP had developed muscles and was very robust. Because the PAP trains people without considering whether you are weak or ill; if others can run ten kilometers, you can run ten kilometers; if others carry twenty kilograms, you can carry twenty kilograms. This thoroughly dealt with his fleshly problems.

The other brother, who stayed at home being well-fed and cared for, remained frail. One lived a healthy life, while the other lived a life of chronic illness.

Another example from my hometown involves a person who could not tolerate any noise while resting. Any noise would disrupt his sleep, affecting his life. As a result, there was almost no noise at home.

One day, someone set off a firecracker that accidentally exploded near their window. Although they lived on a high floor, it could not prevent the incident. The explosion startled him awake, causing a mental breakdown that required several months in a mental hospital. He may never fully recover.

Therefore, caring for the body and pursuing health is a fallacy. The more one cares for the body, the less able to care for it well. My brothers and sisters must break free from this fallacy. I have told many people: Serve diligently; it does not matter if you sleep less. Some say that sleeping less makes them uncomfortable. In reality, this discomfort passes with a little endurance.

If you ask me whether I pursue health, I will tell you I do not. Do I care for my body? I do not. My diet and lifestyle are irregular. Sometimes I work until midnight without realizing I have not eaten. Sometimes I eat one meal a day, sometimes two. Yet, my body is robust and rarely has problems.

Recently, I took two colleagues for training. One developed a fever and diarrhea, while the other nearly developed a fever. I was the oldest among them and had no ailments. Why? Because I do not cater to the flesh.

We have a sister among us who needed to move wooden boards from downstairs to upstairs during a renovation. Her fingers were delicate, likely because she had not done much housework since childhood. Those born in the 80s and 90s rarely handle heavy chores. Her fingers lacked strength and were thin. However, while moving the wooden boards during the renovation, her hands became stronger.

Adjusting to a Behavioural Pattern Based on God's Word

I find pursuing health and caring for the body peculiar. There are many Chinese ways to pursue health. I know someone who was very keen on it. Feeling that he needed to exercise as he aged, he believed that life lies in movement. He and his colleagues would jog by the river at noon, but soon his knees began to hurt. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. This is a spiritual law.

I later reflected on this. Exercising is good, but why did his legs develop problems? Was it the wrong running posture or something else? I believe his underlying logic was solely for the body: I exercise for my health, and to be healthy, I need to exercise. Yet, exercising caused his body to develop problems.

Such incidents are common. I believe that instead of pursuing health and caring for the body, we should adjust our minds and cleanse our internal thought garbage. We should not think according to the flesh. Those who are spiritual thrive and are healthy.

Some think, “I have toiled all my life and finally retired. I can now enjoy my old age.” They eat rich foods and indulge at home, but their health may deteriorate. These are matters of the flesh. I believe that as long as I can move, I can work and do it well. Do what you can. This is the true way to care for the body.

Eating organic food, sleeping on time, and nourishing the liver and kidneys require thorough exploration and thought. The Bible says that if a person’s spirit prospers, they will prosper in all things and be in good health. Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. If we violate God’s word and try to compensate through health regimens, it is truly ineffective.

Start gradually adjusting our concepts, and things will improve. Adjust to a behavioural pattern based on God's word. We act according to what God says. As you slowly understand, you will realize that God's way is truly good. Who are the true masters of caring for the body and pursuing health? Look at the people in the Bible, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were all people who lived lives of toil. In the course of shepherding, they may have walked hundreds of kilometers. Toil is a prerequisite for a good life.

Someone said to me, You are constantly buying houses and designing renovations. Why can't you stop? You design them well but don't live in them. It's exhausting. I want to emulate Abraham. He toiled, yet he flourished. When people are idle, they become sick; when they are busy, they accumulate wealth. Church shepherding, service, and resolving workplace issues are all beneficial training.

Conclusion

I want to give everyone a concept: Completely reject the fleshly logic of pursuing health and caring for the body. Focus only on one thing: living out a thriving life. Health does not come from physical examinations and various tests. I do not have the habit of having medical checkups.

Currently, there are many health theories, such as when to eat fruit: before or after meals? Some say before, some say in the morning, and some say it hurts the stomach and should be eaten after meals. However, I do not dwell on rules. I believe the key is whether one can become a person who creates value and a blessing to this generation. That is most important.

May God bless everyone!