There’s a new you coming every day

In the reception office of a medical practitioner, I spied a pamphlet with the title: Born Again. Students of religion are immediately drawn to such tag lines. It was an intriguing read.

“News: Healing,” it read, “does not take place merely following an injury; it takes place over a lifetime. When healthy, your body is literally healing (being born again) on a moment-to-moment basis. In a healthy body, the regenerative or healing capacity, is unlimited. This is because every second of every day millions of cells die and are replaced by brand new healthy cells. As a result of healing: the liver is new every six weeks; the heart is new every three months; the red blood cells are replaced every 90-120 days; the stomach lining is new every five minutes; the skin is new every 30 days; 98% of the atoms in your body, including bones, are replaced each year.

“Normally, cells and organs break down and die every day but are being replaced faster than they are dying. However, if your body is unhealthy, damaged, or over-worn, the healing process slows down. Although cells are still being replaced, they are replaced by abnormal, unhealthy cells.”

This was the pamphlet’s simple, logical conclusion— “Healing faster than breakdown equals health: Breakdown faster than healing equals dying.”

The Gospel of John gives us the story of Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night. During that night visit, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that one must be born again— spiritually. I have known born again Christians. They are splendors to behold. I have also known born again Christians who have again died spiritually. But just as the physical body can rejuvenate itself again and again, so may the Christian, to remain spiritually healthy, be born again and again.

Commitment to corporate worship may begin to die. This dedication must be born again and again. Dr. Dale Matthews, a medical researcher has done extensive research into the relationship between faith and health.

Matthews cites a landmark study by the American Journal of Public Health which found that those people who were regular churchgoers, who attended church once or more per week, had significantly lower mortality rates. The men had a 25% lower mortality rate, and the women had a 33% lower mortality rate.

“The research tells us that people of faith reap benefi ts in dealing with alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer,” says Dr. Matthews. “They tend to stay healthier and recover faster.” Today, more than half of all medical schools in the United States now offer courses or forums related to spirituality and health. Attending worship, more than being absent equals health: Being absent from worship, more than attending, equals dying.

Knowledge of scripture must be born again and again. Not long ago I once visited with the leaders of a church whose membership had plummeted in just a few short years. In speaking with the elders, they shared one of their church’s Bedrock Beliefs: “Scripture is vital.” I asked the elders if any of them attended Sunday School at their church.

I asked them this because that venue is where appreciable time is devoted to hearing and appropriating Scripture. Not one of those elders attended! That is spiritual disease—that is spiritual death. Learning the Bible faster than forgetting the Bible equals health: Forgetting the Bible faster than learning the Bible equals dying. Again, “Healing faster than breakdown equals health: Breakdown faster than healing equals dying.”

This concluding, encouraging admonition of the pamphlet I have shared was this: There’s a new you coming every day…make it a good one!