Sermon for today by Joyce Meyer : Seven Pillars for Good Health

Related Articles

JOYCE MEYER DAILY DEVOTIONAL — JANUARY 9 2023

January 8, 2024

Don’t let anxiety win! Joyce Meyer Ministries

January 23, 2023

God Is Your Provider By Joyce Meyer

June 22, 2020

Topic : Seven Pillars for Good Health

Dr. Don Colbert recommends the following seven pillars for good health. These are allsimple, basic things, but they can also be life-changing if we make them healthy habits in our life.

1. Drink lots of water
The experts say we should drink half of our body weight in water every day. I know you might think, “If I did that I would drown.” But drinking plenty of water will improve your metabolism and can help you lose weight. It also increasesyour energy level. The more water you drink, the more you will want to drink. If you’re not drinking enough water, start  immediately. Drink pure, clean water, and if you can’t get it
from your home faucet, then purchase a filter for it or buy bottled water. The best way to form the habit of drinking water
is to keep it with you at all times. Keep water as your main drink at home. The fewer choices you have in your refrigerator
or cabinets, the more inclined you will be to choose water.
Many people say they don’t like water, but it is only because they are not accustomed to drinking it. Remember, your body will eventually crave what you give it. My father did not like water and wouldn’t drink it, and he died with kidney failure. Water is the only thing that properly cleanses our bodies of dangerous toxins. Most of our body is made up of water, and as water evaporates all the time, we must
continually replace it.

2. Get plenty of sleep and rest

I can already hear the excuses bombarding your brain. You don’t have enough time to sleep the recommended eight hours a night. But the truth is that if you don’t do so, you are
probably running out of time faster than you think. Some people don’t need as much sleep as others, but most of us need
all we can get. If you are tired a lot, one of the first things to ask yourself is, “Am I getting enough sleep?” Our lives can be
shortened by not getting sleep and rest. The mind doesn’t function properly without it, and our immune systems are compromised and more apt to become unable to fight off disease.
It is very interesting to me that God created us with the ability to shut everything off and sleep. Our bodies go into a state of renewal and repair during our sleep, and we are refreshed mentally, emotionally, and physically for the next day. A lot of people have trouble sleeping and perhaps need
medical attention, but more often than not the inability to sleep is stress related.

Learning how to rest will also help you sleep better. I need about three to four hours in the evening to rest. When I get it, I
sleep very well 99.9 percent of the time. I have developed a habit of going to sleep by 9 p.m. and getting up at 5 a.m. unless
I am traveling and teaching, and that works well for me with the rest of my lifestyle. I believe it is one of the reasons why I
feel as good as I do and can accomplish as much as I do even though I will be seventy years young on my next birthday. My schedule may not work for you, and I am not suggesting it needs to, but you should have a regular bedtime and try to get
seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
Rest is commanded in the Word of God.

God instituted the Sabbath not only for worship but also for rest. We need to
honor the Sabbath principle in our lives by resting regularly.
Most of the people I talk to are tired, and they talk about their need to get some rest, or some time off, or some time to themselves. But talk alone doesn’t help us improve our health.
We must take action. Develop the healthy habit of regular sleep and rest and you will enjoy the rest of your life much
more.

3. Eat quality food
Dr. Colbert calls quality food living food, and it is vital if we want to get the nutrients we need for our body. Eating the things that grow naturally on the earth, such as plenty of fruits and vegetables, is one of the best places to start your journey
toward healthy habits. These living foods are high in nutrition and fiber. Buy quality food (organic if possible) that will taste
good to you and you will enjoy it much more. Sadly, most prepackaged foods have had the natural nutrients stripped out
of them and unhealthy preservatives have been added for longer shelf life.

Learn to read labels and you will be amazed at what you might be dumping into your body. If you’re making food choices for your family as well as for yourself, the importance of doing so is multiplied.

Eat more fish, chicken, and turkey and less fatty red meat.
If at all possible, eat organic meat or meat that is hormone free. The saying that we are what we eat is more truthful than
we may want to admit.
I am sure you are wondering if you can eat any dessert, and my answer would be yes, in moderation. Some nutritionists
and health experts will tell you to eat no sugar, but I already know that is not very likely to happen unless you are one of
those unusual people who simply don’t like sweets. I eat dessert two times a week, and that works for me. I enjoy it
when I have it, and I don’t feel deprived, but it is not excessive. I eat healthily and exercise, so I feel my body can handle a little sugar twice a week.

Dave is sensitive to sugar and almost never eats it. We are all different, so you will have
to develop your own eating plan with God’s help, and I believe that He will guide you based on your body’s unique needs.
One of the cardinal guidelines about healthy eating is to do all things in moderation while having as much variety in your diet as possible. Also, please enjoy your food. I believe God gave us taste buds for a reason and He intends for us to enjoy
the food we eat.

Solving the Weight Issue

I know that many people struggle with being overweight and that losing weight can become the focus of their lives. I too
was overweight for many years and lived on various diets, none of which worked long-term. I finally realized that the answer was that I needed a healthy lifestyle, not another diet. I believe that if you will focus on being healthy instead of on being skinny, you will eventually reach the weight that is right for you.

4. Exercise
The value of exercise is tremendous. After I had been working out at the gym for one year, my coach told me that even if I quit right then, I would still benefit for fifteen years from the one year I had put into it. There are multiple forms of exercise,
and I simply want to urge you to select one that suits you, one you can learn to enjoy and turn into a habit. Walk, ride a
bicycle, swim, play an active sport, exercise with weights, or get an exercise video. The choices are endless, so choose one and get started. Even if you feel that you cannot do a lot, doing something is better than doing nothing.

5. Supplements
Not everyone wants to take vitamins and other supplements, and that choice will need to be yours. Dave and I both take
plenty of supplements because we want to do all we can to make sure we are nutritionally sound. My advice would be to
take at least a multivitamin daily, some extra vitamin D, and anything else you might specifically be in need of. For example, some people need to take iron but others don’t. If you want to take supplements but you tend to forget, then do something to help you remember. Put them where you will have to see them, or write a note to yourself, or set the alarm on your phone.

6. Detox
We all have toxic buildup in our bodies, and those toxins need to be eliminated. Toxic buildup can be the root cause of a lot of
physical ailments. Some toxins are expelled through breathing, and many others are expelled through the kidneys and bowels.
Exercise makes us sweat, and that is another excellent way to detoxify. Home saunas as well as other methods of
detoxification are available that you may want to look into.

7. Coping with stress
We have already discussed stress in this chapter, and it is included on Dr. Colbert’s list. I want to reemphasize the vital importance of eliminating as much stress from your life as is possible.
You may need to develop several healthy habits to feel that you have attained optimum health, and if that is the case,
don’t feel overwhelmed. You might start by locating something that you eat too much of and either cut it out completely or
learn to eat it in moderation. Perhaps you could begin to rest and relax one hour a day and see what a difference it makes.
Try using some of your lunch hour at work to take a walk. Just make some decisions, get started, and be determined to enjoy a
healthy, vibrant, and energetic life.