Cherish God's Gift of Life - VALUE THE GIFT OF LIFE

One reason we should try to stay healthy is that we can serve Jehovah to the best of our ability. (Mark 12:20) We desire to present our "bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God," so we avoid choosing to do things that we know will harm our health.  (Romans 12:1) Granted there is only so much that we can do to stay in good health. But we do what we can because we want to show our heavenly Father that we appreciate the gift of life.

King David explained why he cherished the gift of life when he wrote: "What profit is there in my death, in my going down to the pit?  Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?" (Psalm 30:9) David may have written those words toward the end of his life. But he was determined to stay alive and well as long as possible so that he could praise Jehovah.  No doubt, all of  us have that same determination.

Sickness and old age may prevent us from doing many of the things we once did. As a result, we may feel frustrated and sad,  But never should we give up and neglect our health.  Why not? Because no matter how old or sick we are, we can still praise Jehovah, as did King David.  How touching it is to realize that our God treasures us despite our being imperfect! (Matthew 10:29-31) Even if we were to die, he would long to resurrect us.  (Job 14:14, 15) While we are alive, we want to do what we can to protect our health and life.

Next time: Cherish God's Gift of Life - AVOID HARMFUL HABITS

    From the jw.org publications