Health and Service by Frederick M. Rossiter

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Dec 17, 1903

Health and Service

By Frederick M. Rossiter

FREDERICK M. ROSSITER, M. D.

In these days of business activity and competition health has acquired a commercial value. It is recognized as an essential factor to success in any enterprise, whether it be strictly legitimate or not. The man who has health can attend to his business, and ever be ready to profit by the changes in the market; whereas another, because of physical exhaustion, is compelled to spend weeks or months in sanitariums, or traveling to regain his health. To men responsible for large business interests this means great financial loss. Most of the failures in business and in professional life are due to poor health.

During the Civil War and during the wars of the last few years the efficiency of armies was greatly reduced by the large number of sick soldiers. There have been times when an army could not march because of the large number on the sick list. It is perfectly evident that for the time being a sick soldier is worse than no soldier at all; for the army is not only deprived of his service, but some one must be detailed to care for him, thus decreasing the number of fighting men, increasing the expense, and wasting much valuable time.

A campaign is on. A forward movement is to be made. The soldiers of the cross are to march, fight, and win a victory. While the victory is of the Lord, yet it is clear that human instrumentality must be used in this warfare.

Health is as essential to success in the Lord's work as in any selfish enterprise. Much of the discouragement among Christians, and most of the failures, result from sickness and poor health, or from temporary violations of physical laws. The man who eats lobster salad or fried cheese late at night is almost sure to have a despondent view of life the next morning. Lesser infractions of the laws of health are attended with corresponding mental changes, and hence influence the spiritual life.

There is a direct relation between health and efficiency in any service. With right motives and correct principles, abounding health and physical energy enable one to take hold of spiritual matters with zeal and enthusiasm. Our attitude toward the Lord's work is determined largely by our physical condition. A feeling of physical well-being enables one to see truth more clearly, to exercise more faith, and to triumph over difficulties more easily. In all this no man can take credit to himself; for health and healing come from the Lord.

God has called his people to an exalted service; and that their service may be efficient, he has given them exalted principles of truth, among which are the health principles. By this means every individual is to be thoroughly furnished unto all good works, and the ‘whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’

The living—not the dead—shall praise the Lord. The healthy and strong can render the most effectual service in this message; hence the ambition of all should be to be healthy and strong. Every worker that ‘gets sick’ interferes with the progress of the cause where he is located. He may have a blessing in his sickness, but he can have a greater one in health, and do more to help others. Estimating that five dollars is spent each year for each of seventy-five thousand Adventists for medicine, doctors’ bills, nursing, and treatment at sanitariums, which is no doubt a small average, we have the large sum of three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. This is practically all lost to the cause. Then, because of sickness of adults or children, say one day a year, valued at one dollar, is lost to each of seventy-five thousand persons, we have a sum of seventy-five thousand dollars, making, altogether, four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This would send seven hundred and fifty missionaries abroad, with a salary of six hundred dollars a year each.

All sickness can not be prevented, but most of it can be. It is not at all desirable that one should be thinking about his health all the time, any more than that he should be thinking about his character. The adoption of correct principles will take care of both. There is no more reason for worrying about the health than for worrying about the character. If the health should be guarded as sacredly as the character, why should one hazard the health any more than he would jeopardize his good name?

The application of this principle will prevent much sickness and indisposition, which hinder one from giving his best service to this cause. To be sanctified wholly, soul, spirit, and body, means to be completely set apart for service. By overwork, neglect of sleep, errors in diet, insufficient outdoor exercise, and many other violations of nature's laws, we fail of sacredly guarding the health. Every day spent in bed because of preventable illness is both time and money lost to the cause of truth. We are also assailed by doubt, discouragement, and evil surmising. Self-control is in a measure lost; everything seems to go wrong; we look at matters through smoked glasses; it is easy to criticize and find fault; nothing is just right; we are either ‘sharp or flat,’ making a discord that is something terrible. Mistakes are made, memory is poor, and there are serious errors in judgment.

The exhortation to present our ‘bodies a living sacrifice,’ in order to render an acceptable and reasonable service, was never more urgent. And the most acceptable service is that which is rendered in health.