3 John 1-2 (NIV) says, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” Hum… in the household of faith, we recite that scripture so often. I think most of us truly believe the Word of God is true and we believe God to be faithful but I wonder if we really think about and internalize that verse like we should. I’ve been thinking more and more about health every day - the blessing of good health versus the havoc that poor health can wreak on us, our families, our caregivers, our finances and our overall quality of life. 

This has been on my mind not because our church has a thriving wellness ministry, not because I advocate to end health disparities through outreach and education, and not even because we serve a Navigators (assisters) for Affordable Care Act to help the underserved in Mississippi access healthcare that they never had before. I’ve been thinking about health more because all around me I see preventable illness and what appear to be premature deaths due to people simply not taking care of themselves. With all my expertise in faith and health, I fully accept that God is the Master Physician and He has the clock of our lives but I can’t help but think, can’t WE do more increase the quality of our lives and in some cases prolong our lives?

Last week, we funeralized a local high school coach. He was 44 years old, the same age I am. Coach transitioned suddenly due to a heart attack. The community is shocked and saddened. We thought someone like him – a man of faith, educated, upwardly mobile, middle-class and middle-income, relatively physically active was taking care of his health. After his passing, we learned that he had doctor’s appointments scheduled but decided to put them off because he was busy at work. Wow! If someone had simply reminded him of the importance of preventive care, maybe he would still be alive. Perhaps the doctor would have seen that massive heart attack coming and headed it off at the pass.

Another friend of mine, a woman in her early fifties found out last fall that she had a mass on her kidney. She chose to take herbal supplements, transition to a healthier diet, and fast and pray before returning to the doctor for her follow-up. When she finally had the follow-up appointment a couple of months ago, the mass was still there so she started a rigorous cycle of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She is slowly improving but she has a long way to go. I’m happy that she made lifestyle changes to improve her overall health and strengthen herself spiritually but I had to ask myself why she took so long to go for her follow-up, why wasn’t she seeking preventive care long before this problem escalated?

Well, I don’t know the answers to all the “why” or “what if” questions about my friends’ health. No one really knows because we’re all motived by different factors and we all handle health crisis in different ways. What I do know is that I believe the Word of God and I’m informed enough to know that WE all have the power to change our situations. We are our own best advocates. When it comes to wellness, preventive services are the key. Benjamin Franklin said it well, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We all benefit from the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that insurers cover a number of recommended preventive services such as cancer, diabetes and blood pressure screenings, without additional cost. Because of this 137 million Americans with private health coverage have gotten better preventive services. 

But what about all those folks like my friends who have adequate insurance, have a fair understanding of what preventive services are covered but still don’t follow through with their doctors? What can we do about that? How can we really prosper and be in health like the scripture says if we don’t have a sense of urgency when it comes to our own well-being? Here are a few suggestions. Use the ones that work for you, tweak them to fit your needs, share them with your friends and prosper!

• Have a health fair at your local elementary school or junior high school right as school lets out. Target the parents and the teachers – they’re already there anyway so there will be no excuse for them to not participate. Have medical professionals there to check blood pressure, BMI, sugar levels, cholesterol. At least folks will know their numbers and hopefully be prompted to get follow-ups.
• In your men’s ministry, women’s ministry or small groups, encourage participants to select a “buddy” in the group who they trust. This buddy helps them keep up with preventive care appointments, drives them to the doctor if necessary, and holds their hand during the appointment if necessary. These buddies could even be prayer partners – this is a great way to grow your ministries, build rapport among congregants and increase intercessory and corporate prayer in your house of worship.
• Most people take their children for check-ups even if they neglect themselves. Encourage members of your house of worship, parents in your PTA, anyone who has to take kids to the doctor to schedule their check-ups on the same day. Make it a date – the whole family goes to their appointments together and then treat themselves with an afternoon play date or a trip to the ice cream shop afterwards.
• Under the ACA, many insurers cover new services like personal nurses who help patients with chronic care but they also help healthy patients stay healthy. Why not encourage folks in your circle to use these nurses to help them stay on track with preventive care?
• Give your loved ones positive reinforcement – incentives – for taking care of themselves. For example, that neighbor who is petrified of getting a mammogram might find some levity in you mowing their lawn for them or cooking lunch for them if they keep their appointment.
• Sometimes going to the doctor is scary. That’s why some people skip or postpone appointments. Even the bravest among us get “white coat syndrome” every so often. So, encourage your circle to seek doctors who believe in empowering patients through full transparency and two-way conversations that make medical information easier to understand, less scary and make routine appointments easier and more effective for the patient.

"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything." Arabian Proverb