Reason #3: Poor Health Can Hinder or Eliminate Ministry

We should learn to be healthy so we can serve others

While Christ Jesus was on earth, He gave us the ultimate example of a servant. Matthew 20:28 tells us that the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve. He demonstrated His service to mankind in many ways, including the ultimate service of giving His own life. Is this what God requires of us? Yes. God calls us to be servants of all.

Before we can give ourselves to others in service (ministry), we must have something to give. If we are tired, weak, sick, or dying, it is very difficult to serve others for the sake of the Gospel. We may be struggling just to rise out of bed in the morning (I know because I have felt this way before).

[I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you choose to purchase a book from the link below, I may earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting my work.]

A Missionary Story

Consider this tragic account from Dr. Michael Jacobson’s book, The Word on Health—a Biblical and Medical Overview of How to Care For Your Body and Mind.

Ron had just come home from the mission field where he had served for several decades. His ministry had been incredibly successful. He had built it from the ground up—from nothing to a major evangelistic force in the region. He had an outstanding staff, excellent materials, and exceptional financial support. But he had been taken out of the battle in an unexpected way: his health failed. One statement he made summarized his feelings: “I have served God for forty-three years, and now this.” “This” referred to an incurable, terminal illness. Prior to now, Ron had never given his health a thought. All of his energy was devoted to “ministry.” He took for granted the health he would need in order to accomplish it.

Ignore Your Health?

Likewise, many Christian workers have gone into the ministry thinking that since they are “doing God’s work,” they don’t have to concern themselves with matters of health; God is going to take care of them. Their lives and ministry seem to go along smoothly until they hit forty or fifty years of age, when suddenly disease strikes. Then, despite the fact that they have been violating God’s natural law all of their lives, they often ask, “Why?” and may even question God’s character for allowing them to get sick.

A bumper sticker says it this way, “Ignore your health… and it will go away!” That is just what we have done in the church; we have ignored our health…and it has gone away.

Keep in mind that there are many reasons why people get sick and suffer. And not all sickness can be controlled. Some people are suffering for the very sake of bringing glory to God.

We Can Control Much of Our Health

The MAJORITY of illnesses are caused by circumstances that are in OUR control. We have a responsibility before the Lord to be good stewards of the body he has given us. In fact our body is the temple of God. How then shall we treat God's temple?

The answers are found in God’s Word.

After this seven part series on why to study health from a biblical perspective, be sure to read Authoritative Answers: To Whom Should We Go? and the next seven part series titled, "Why Am I Sick?,"  which discusses the biblical reasons why mankind suffers ill-health. There can never be true healing until first the cause is identified.

This is why a study of health from a biblical perspective is encouraged. It is necessary in order to get to the root cause of illness. Addressing symptoms alone is not sufficient. The designer of our bodies has the answer. We need to go to Him to find it. God says through the prophet Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

We must study to show ourselves approved, and inasmuch as it depends on us, do our best to live the most healthful life possible so that we can do the Lord’s work to the best of our ability.

Let’s not ignore our health as Ron did and increase the chance of a premature retirement from ministry. Poor health can hinder or eliminate ministry.

Next: Reason #4: Grow in Your Trust of God and His Word

Return to: Biblical Health Study