Caring for Health

Both the gift of life and the blessing of health are special treasures to be valued and preserved in the best condition possible.

But many of us take action only when illnesses and diseases are threatening us. But we should take the proverb “Better safe than sorry” more seriously. After all, it is better to prevent disease than to cure it.

During the 1860s, Seventh-day Adventists began to actively promote health reform. An important part of that was Ellen White’s extensive vision on June 5, 1863, in which she saw basic health reform principles.

On December 25, 1865, God showed her that Seventh-day Adventists should establish their own health reform institution where they could apply those principles consistently. Finally, on September 5, 1866, the Western Health Reform Institute opened in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was eventually renamed Battle Creek Sanitarium.

In 1875, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg joined the staff, and the following year he was appointed medical superintendent at age twenty-four.

That institution became the forerunner of a worldwide system of health-care facilities operated by the church. But why does the church carry on such an expensive health system? Would it not be far easier to perform healing miracles like many of the Pentecostal and charismatic preachers? Seventh-day Adventists believe that God still performs miracles today as He did in the past but less ostentatiously and with less publicity than those preachers want to receive (I’m reminded of Mark 1:40–45).

Furthermore, many of those popular preachers perform their healing miracles without ever educating people to live a healthy lifestyle.

We know that diseases are not always the result of a sinful lifestyle (John 9:1–3). But there are many blessings that come from intentionally living a healthful lifestyle (Exodus 15:26). Let us not only teach our principles of healthful living to others but also practice them in our own lives. Our words need to be backed by our own example!