Pastor's Corner
August, 2003
My wife and I went to a National Health Conference for Pharmacists a couple of weeks ago. We signed up to attend a two-day seminar on Diabetes Care. Two days of intensive lectures were good and informative. It was great to be able to refresh some of the medical knowledge that have been fading ever since I became a pastor. The worse part was the final examination at the end of the seminar! During the training, we learned about the different types of Diabetes, its treatments, and mostly importantly, I believe, the preventive measures one can take to avoid this dreadful chronic disease. Other than caused by heredity, which no one has any control over, the good news is that diabetes can be prevented by diet and exercise.
In many cases, diabetes is directly related to body weight. One alarming trend is that Americans are gaining weight by the year, and a dangerous sign is that the over-weight population is getting younger and younger. Now, we have more obese teenagers than ten years ago. One of the reasons contributing to this problem is the growing availability of “super-sized fast food.” For only thirty-nine cents more, you can have your “fast food” meal super-sized. Who can pass up such a good deal? Little do we know, the extra grease and calories have no place to go except being stored as “unused” fat! Lack of exercise to “burn off” these calories means trouble. The heavier the body weight, the chance to exercise becomes slimmer. Eventually, hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes can occur. It is true that we all will die one day, but losing one’s health is losing something extremely important in life. For example, uncontrolled diabetes will cause a person to lose his eyesight, his limbs, and other vital organs. But giving up the good tasting food and the sweet savory desert proves to be most difficult for many because men’s chief pleasure is to eat, that is, until it’s too late. Avoid or decrease eating certain food and having adequate exercise will certainly enhance physical health.
Not giving up instant pleasure to the taste buds could create plenty of undesirable complications. You know, it is the same with “Sin,” because sin may bring you instant physical or emotional gratification, but the deadly consequences will follow, without a doubt. God warns us to avoid them at all cause, not because it isn’t fun. But when the “Fun” dies down, pain and sorrow will follow. Avoid sin and use your time to exercise, do something meaningful for God and your fellow men. You will then experience more joy in the long run.
Before I sign off, I just want to remind you to look further ahead, not just at your immediate present, though that is important at times. Are you on the way to Eternal Life in God? If so, great! Keep on the path. If not, I wish you would believe in Jesus Christ so that you will be.
Pastor Larry
