Taking Care Of Your Health Is Biblical, Cleric Tells Men On International Men’s Day
A Christian cleric, Very Reverend Peter Aya has urged men to be deliberate about taking care of their health as it is part of the teachings of the Holy Bible.
Very Reverend Peter Aya who is a senior reverend in the Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ (ERCC) as well as the Senior Special Assistant to the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State on Christian Religious Matters was speaking to Eggonnews on the 2022 International Men’s Day.
He lamented that men have misunderstood the instructions in the Bible to care for and provide for their families and have focused almost completely on the welfare of other members of the family and forgetting about themselves most of the time.
According to the man of God, society has also contributed to this by painting the picture of an ideal man as one who is able to provide for his family without considering the mental and physical well-being of the man himself.
In his words, “Of course, it is the responsibility of every man to take care of his family, just as it has been stated in the Holy Book. The man as the head of the family is saddled with the responsibility to provide, take care, love and see to the wellbeing of members of his family.
“So it is expected that we key into that process that God has ordered. We should key into that and take care of our families and ourselves as well. If you fail to take care of yourself, you are cheating yourself. And when you are not healthy, it means every member of your family will suffer. Only a healthy man can be a good father to his children. Only a healthy man can be a good husband to his wife.
“Just like what 1 Timothy 5:8 will say, that any man who fails to take care of his family is worse than an unbeliever. That statement about taking care includes everything. It includes the provision of food, provision of clothing, provision of shelter, and provision of even healthcare. So it is good that every head of the family should be responsible to take care of his family in all ramifications of life. If you fail in one, you have failed in all because when God created us, He made us whole and not just one side.”
Very Reverend Aya who coincidentally marks his birthday on International Men’s Day also took out time to advise men on some habits that will help them live healthier.
He said: “One of those things I want to talk to men about is their eating patterns and lifestyle. We need to listen to and learn from nutritionists so that we can know the kind of food to eat, when to eat and when not to eat, when to go for exercise and when not to go and so many other things. I think we need to observe this very well.
“We need to listen to health workers. They will always tell us that when it is evening, don’t take a heavy swallow again. But many times you know men like heavy swallow so it is good for us to check that.
“Also, we now know that there are certain food items that you should not consume based on the blood group you belong to. So it is also good for us to check that.”
According to him, he has been practicing some of these habits along with regular check-ups with his doctor and has noticed remarkable improvements in his health which have made him a better husband, father, and cleric.
Every year on November 19, International Men’s Day is celebrated. This is to raise awareness about the mental and physical health of men and also to highlight their socio-economic, cultural, and political achievements.
The day also celebrates the positive value that men bring to the world and motivates them to become positive role models.