God's Plan or Wisdom of Man? Part I: Design

I think beliefs about God and world views have a lot more to do with health than most people admit or realize.

If one believes that humans are the result of a process of evolution and adaptation over millions of years, and that humans have managed to emerge as the life form with superior intelligence, it would make sense that humans need to come up with ways to heal our evolved bodies.  On the other hand, if one believes in Intelligent Design, it would make sense that the Designer who created the human body knows exactly how it works and what is needed to keep it functioning optimally.  Modern "Western" medicine has, in a lot of ways, ignored the intelligent design of the human body and its Designer, believing that Man is best qualified to come up with treatments and cures.  And sadly, too many Christians have been convinced that the wisdom of man is the ultimate authority in the areas of health and medicine.

As I have researched alternative cancer treatments and learned more and more about real nutrition and how fundamental it is to the proper functioning of the body, I realized how logically it fits with my belief in God as creator. God designed and created our bodies.  He created the body with intricate systems designed to remove harmful toxic substances, eliminate and neutralize foreign invaders, and heal itself.  He also created EVERYTHING the body needs to be sustained and equipped to function properly and effectively.  He gave us air, sunshine, water, and food. He created all the animals, plants, fruits, vegetables, and herbs on the earth necessary for food and healing. God did not design our bodies to need man-made medicines or interventions for proper function and healing.

Think of the body as an engine and food and beverages as its fuel and oil.  If the wrong kind of fuel/oil is put into an engine, the engine will not run smoothly or function correctly.  Sometimes it may cause immediate, obvious problems.  Other times, it may not be as noticeable--maybe a more gradual effect of realizing over time that the engine is running "rough" or just not at its peak performance.  Likewise, if the body isn't getting the food and beverage it was designed to need and use, it will not function and perform correctly.  Sometimes the problems are immediate and acute; other times they are gradual, chronic conditions.   I think people are generally more careful with their engines than they are with their bodies.  If the car engine is running rough, most people will try to identify the problem and correct it.  And if they find out they've been using the wrong fuel or putting things into the engine that don't belong in it, it's a quick and easy decision to remedy it.  But when the body is malfunctioning, changing the diet is too often the last thing people correct.  Instead, people take medicine/drugs to treat the symptoms, or they just ignore the problem altogether, chalking it up to "getting old." 

The first step in changing the way we view health is recognizing that the human body was intelligently designed by the Creator who also provided everything necessary for its sustenance and optimal function.