Chapter 40—Body Affects Mind
Close Relationship Between Mind and Body—There is an inti-
mate relation between the mind and the body, and in order to reach
a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment, the laws that
control our physical being must be heeded.—
Patriarchs and Prophets,
601
(1890).
Mental Effort Affected by Physical Vigor—We should seek to
preserve the full vigor of all our powers for the accomplishment of
the work before us. Whatever detracts from physical vigor weakens
mental effort. Hence, every practice unfavorable to the health of the
body should be resolutely shunned.
Says the great apostle, “I keep under my body, and bring it into
subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I
myself should be a castaway.” We cannot maintain consecration to God
and yet injure our health by the willful indulgence of a wrong habit.
Self-denial is one of the conditions, not only of admission into the
service of Christ, but of continuance therein. Christ Himself declared,
in unmistakable language, the conditions of discipleship: “If any man
will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow Me.”
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Yet, how many who call themselves Christians are unwilling to
exercise self-denial, even for Christ’s sake. How often the love for
some pernicious indulgence is stronger than the desire for a sound
mind in a sound body. Precious hours of probation are spent, God-
given means squandered, to please the eye or to gratify the appetite.
Custom holds thousands in bondage to the earthly and sensual. Many
are willing captives; they desire no better portion.—
The Signs of the
Times, June 1, 1882
.
The Power of Discriminating Between Right and Wrong—
Anything that lessens physical strength enfeebles the mind and makes
it less capable of discriminating between right or wrong.—
Christ’s
Object Lessons, 346
(1900).
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