N.E.W. S.T.A.R.T
“Part of our mission at Seeking The Lost Ministries is to help people come closer to Jesus Christ through the education and application of our health message.
What is our health message? It is summed up in the acronym: “N.E.W. S.T.A.R.T.”
Nutrition
What we eat has a profound effect on the way we think and live. God cares about our health (3 John 2) and refers to our bodies as His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). We have a duty to take care of our bodies and provide it the most healthful foods for nourishment possible that honors and glorifies Him (1 Corinthians 10:31). We believe that a plant-based diet, the diet that God prescribed for man in the Garden of Eden in a world before sin and before the flood (Genesis 1:29, 3:18), is still the most healthy diet to date. Studies have shown that individuals who adopt a vegan/vegetarian diet have far less health risks such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. and they also tend to live longer.
Exercise
Our bodies were designed to move. A sedentary lifestyle aids in the deterioration of our health and bodies while also contributing to the advancement of certain diseases (Proverbs 21:25). God desires that we participate in physical work or labor because it is a blessing to us (Genesis 3:17-19).
Studies have shown that physical exercise not only helps with weight loss and muscle gain, but it also contributes to lowering depression, improving cardiovascular system, relieving anxiety, increasing energy, and much more.
Water
One of the most important components to our health is water. In fact, if the body goes at least three days without consuming water, you can die. Just as we cannot live without Jesus, the fountain of the living waters that leads us into everlasting life (Jeremiah 17:13, John 4:14), we cannot live three days without consuming water. Our bodies are made up of at least 70% water, however, studies show that if there’s at least 1% of water loss, it can negatively impact our brain function and affect our mood, memory and motor skills. People in today’s world consume beverages high in caffeine, sugar, colorings and other additives that opens the door to disease, dehydration, and even death. If we are to glorify God in what we drink, we must consume this vital nutrient in optimal amounts for the best health.
Sunlight
The sunlight that emits from that bright star, that the Lord created on the fourth day to rule the day (Genesis 1:16), provides a source of nourishment for many plants and creatures on earth (Deuteronomy 33:14). Jesus, also known as “the Sun of righteousness”, is our source of healing (Malachi 4:2) and He has given us the sun to provide us with health benefits. Our bodies naturally produce vitamin D, a.k.a the “sunshine hormone”, and with proper sunlight exposure this vitamin has been shown to help decrease depression, improve immune function, and improve sleep. God wants us to be outside and exposed as much as possible to this radiant ball of light in the sky.
Temperance
In today’s society, people are consumed with greed and gluttony in a myriad of ways. There are many people who eat too much, drink too much, and even work too much. Even if the foods we eat, beverages we drink, or the work that we do are the healthy alternatives, it can still be detrimental to our health in excess. Individuals who partake in harmful indulgences and practices in diet and lifestyle can bring about the onset of disease, distress, pollution, and even death to themselves and others. Learning to abstain from everything that is bad for us and moderately consuming that which is good for us is the essence of true temperance. God desires that we become masters of our appetites (1 Corinthians 9:25) so that we may be free from self-destructive effects of greed, gluttony and lust.
Air
Just as vital, if not more vital, than water is fresh air. The average person cannot survive a few minutes without air. The gift of the breath of life that God provides to all mankind (Job 12:10) should be a constant reminder to us every time we fill our lungs with oxygen. We have a responsibility to make sure we’re breathing the best air possible and keeping our lungs as free as we can from pollution and other harmful substances that can negatively affect our air quality. Studies have shown that inhalation of poor air quality and/or poor breathing habits can result in depression, headaches, and even exhaustion. It’s important that we try to limit our time indoors and spend more time outdoors, as often as we can, to breathe fresh air. Exercising outdoors can drastically improve cardiovascular function helping us to utilize oxygen more efficiently and supercharging our cells.
Rest
We live in an overworked and restless society that God had not intended for us. The human body needs rest and can’t survive long or healthfully without adequate amounts of it. Sleep deprivation is a serious issue and can go ignored simply because we value other things more than rest. Sleep deprivation or lack of good quality sleep can impair creativity, judgment, compromise the immune system, increase stress, and can also result in death in extreme cases. Good quality sleep on the other hand is shown to improve mood, energy, cognitive ability, and immune system, which helps us fight disease. Rest isn’t just for physical or mental relaxation, but spiritual. The rest that God instituted for us at the beginning of creation (Genesis 2:3) is the kind of rest that points us back to Him so that we know who He is (Ezekiel 20:12), that we learn to appreciate His creations, and to show our gratitude to Him for all that He has done for us (Exodus 20:8-11). Jesus wants us to rest and put all of our burdens and cares upon him (Matthew 11:28) and invites us all to that same rest (Hebrews 4:1-5) so that we may be healed and restored.
Trust In God
Of course, we can do nothing without God (John 15:5) because he is the source of all life, health, and healing (John 14:6). If we believe and trust in Him then all things are possible (Philippians 4:13).
A great deal of our worry, fear, anxiety, and stress are manifested because we choose not to put our faith in Jesus. If we take His advice and trust Him in all things, we have the assurance that God will direct us (Proverbs 3:5-6). God desires the best for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and if we put Him first in our lives, to live and work through us (2 Corinthians 6:16), He has promised us to grant us life in abundance (John 10:10).