When preparing for my 1991 journey to South Africa I visited a doctor. His advice about vaccines for life-threatening diseases was more thorough than I had expected. His long list included: Smallpox, Cholera, Dengue, Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness),…and a few others that I’d only heard about in the movies. He, of course, recommended a course of no less than 18 injections to cover the most common diseases. The look of horror on my face was obviously enough to satisfy his dry medical humour. He smiled and told me that, as long as I wasn’t planning a trek up jungle rivers, I should be fine as I was.
Precaution is a good thing. If dangers to health and wellbeing can be avoided, they should be; that’s wisdom. However, we must be careful not to see our physical bodies as museum pieces to be protected at all costs.
Scripture tells all of us “to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1).
Paul was no spectator-general sitting off to the side of the battle, sipping tea and barking orders. He literally led from the front—“I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls” (2 Corinthians 12:15).
Remember, Paul worked jobs to support himself and his preacher-boys, he was beaten countless times to within an inch of his life, he was stoned, shipwrecked, hungry, cold, and constantly concerned about the church (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-29).
Why did Paul wear himself out of the church? Because he was serving in his body in the same manner that Jesus served in his:
Jesus “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Our spiritual journey is a body and soul experience.
John Staiger
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