We’ve grown quite impatient about health. We want a pill that will block the pain or relieve the symptoms so that we can keep on with our accustomed pace. But the body must have rest in order to repair itself. And the medications we take can only assist in the body’s work of restoration. Often, the symptoms we’re trying so hard to get rid of are really the body’s efforts to fight disease. Fever, congestion, and tiredness are all evidence that the body is working hard to cure you. So let it do its work.

Rest. Rest is nature’s best remedy for the abuse our mind and body often take during the day. We must have time for recreation and rest to relieve the tensions of work and family responsibilities. Without their required dosage of rest, people often experience anxiety, depression, and irritability. This can lead to illness, which will force us to take the rest our bodies were asking for all along. There’s simply no substitute for a good night’s sleep. No kind of medication or stimulation can make up for a lack of sleep.

Recharging our spiritual batteries on a daily basis is also important to physical health. A Christian’s daily time of meditation, Bible study, and prayer will heal the body as well as the soul. We also need a regular break from the work cycle, a weekly day of rest, and annual or semi-annual vacations that provide a good change of pace.