Many people treat their health as if it is completely out of their control. They live carelessly, abuse their bodies, and then when sickness strikes, they say, “God gives and God takes away.” But let us face the truth: much of the sickness in our world is not from heaven or fate—it is from the choices people make every day. Health is not an accident. It is a result of discipline, wisdom, and responsibility.
Look at the world around us. Hospitals are full, not only because of diseases we cannot control, but also because of diseases people invited into their own bodies. Smoking is a choice. Drinking excessively is a choice. Living on junk food is a choice. Ignoring rest is a choice. These small decisions pile up, and years later, they speak loudly in the form of heart disease, diabetes, liver failure, and cancer. And yet, instead of admitting the truth, people sigh and say, “It must be God’s will.” No—it was not His will. It was human neglect.
Take, for example, the man who smokes two packs of cigarettes a day. He knows it damages his lungs. He has heard the warnings. He has seen the posters. But he continues, saying, “Something will kill me anyway.” Then, years later, when lung cancer strikes, he whispers, “Maybe God wanted this.” But the truth is, God did not put the cigarette in his mouth—he did.
Or think of the young girl who abuses chemical treatments, popping pills or misusing contraceptives without guidance. For years, she ignores the natural rhythm of her body, until one day it collapses in pain or endless bleeding. She sits in the hospital and asks, “Why did God let this happen to me?” But it was not God. It was her choices, small but steady, that built up to this moment.
Food is another silent destroyer. Many people treat their stomachs like trash bins, filling them with whatever looks good, smells good, or tastes good, without a thought of what it does to the body. Fast food, sugary drinks, endless snacks—day after day, year after year. Then one day, the doctor says, “You have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and pre-diabetes.” The person cries out, “Why me? Why now?” But the answer was hidden in their plate all along.
And it is not just what we put in our bodies, but also how we treat them. Some people refuse to rest, working day and night as if their bodies were machines. They push themselves until the body crashes. Others avoid exercise completely, treating movement like punishment. Then they wonder why their joints ache and their energy vanishes. The truth is, the body is like a garden. If you do not care for it, it will wither.
Of course, not all sickness is self-inflicted. Some diseases come uninvited, and some accidents are beyond our control. But let us be honest—much of what fills hospitals today is preventable. And prevention begins with upright choices.
Health is not built in one day. It is built in daily habits. Drinking water instead of soda. Walking instead of always sitting. Sleeping instead of scrolling endlessly on a phone. Saying no to harmful substances. Choosing balance. These are simple acts, but together they create a fortress around the body.
And here is the deeper truth: when you destroy your health, you do not suffer alone. Families are burdened. Children lose parents too soon. Communities lose workers. Nations lose strength. Sickness born of neglect is not a private issue—it is a public one. That is why uprightness in health is not just about you. It is about everyone connected to you.
If you want God to be glorified in your body, then honor it with wisdom. Do not treat it like an enemy, do not abuse it like a slave, and do not neglect it like garbage. Your body is the vessel through which you live, love, work, and serve. To waste it recklessly is not freedom—it is foolishness.
So remember this: health is not an accident. It is a choice. If you live wisely, your body will thank you. If you live recklessly, your body will betray you. Do not wait until the hospital bed to learn the lesson. Choose uprightness now, because that is what truly glorifies God.
Look at the world around us. Hospitals are full, not only because of diseases we cannot control, but also because of diseases people invited into their own bodies. Smoking is a choice. Drinking excessively is a choice. Living on junk food is a choice. Ignoring rest is a choice. These small decisions pile up, and years later, they speak loudly in the form of heart disease, diabetes, liver failure, and cancer. And yet, instead of admitting the truth, people sigh and say, “It must be God’s will.” No—it was not His will. It was human neglect.
Take, for example, the man who smokes two packs of cigarettes a day. He knows it damages his lungs. He has heard the warnings. He has seen the posters. But he continues, saying, “Something will kill me anyway.” Then, years later, when lung cancer strikes, he whispers, “Maybe God wanted this.” But the truth is, God did not put the cigarette in his mouth—he did.
Or think of the young girl who abuses chemical treatments, popping pills or misusing contraceptives without guidance. For years, she ignores the natural rhythm of her body, until one day it collapses in pain or endless bleeding. She sits in the hospital and asks, “Why did God let this happen to me?” But it was not God. It was her choices, small but steady, that built up to this moment.
Food is another silent destroyer. Many people treat their stomachs like trash bins, filling them with whatever looks good, smells good, or tastes good, without a thought of what it does to the body. Fast food, sugary drinks, endless snacks—day after day, year after year. Then one day, the doctor says, “You have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and pre-diabetes.” The person cries out, “Why me? Why now?” But the answer was hidden in their plate all along.
And it is not just what we put in our bodies, but also how we treat them. Some people refuse to rest, working day and night as if their bodies were machines. They push themselves until the body crashes. Others avoid exercise completely, treating movement like punishment. Then they wonder why their joints ache and their energy vanishes. The truth is, the body is like a garden. If you do not care for it, it will wither.
Of course, not all sickness is self-inflicted. Some diseases come uninvited, and some accidents are beyond our control. But let us be honest—much of what fills hospitals today is preventable. And prevention begins with upright choices.
Health is not built in one day. It is built in daily habits. Drinking water instead of soda. Walking instead of always sitting. Sleeping instead of scrolling endlessly on a phone. Saying no to harmful substances. Choosing balance. These are simple acts, but together they create a fortress around the body.
And here is the deeper truth: when you destroy your health, you do not suffer alone. Families are burdened. Children lose parents too soon. Communities lose workers. Nations lose strength. Sickness born of neglect is not a private issue—it is a public one. That is why uprightness in health is not just about you. It is about everyone connected to you.
If you want God to be glorified in your body, then honor it with wisdom. Do not treat it like an enemy, do not abuse it like a slave, and do not neglect it like garbage. Your body is the vessel through which you live, love, work, and serve. To waste it recklessly is not freedom—it is foolishness.
So remember this: health is not an accident. It is a choice. If you live wisely, your body will thank you. If you live recklessly, your body will betray you. Do not wait until the hospital bed to learn the lesson. Choose uprightness now, because that is what truly glorifies God.
