Living Above Disease by O. C. Godsmark

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Mar 31, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 13.

Living Above Disease.

By O. C. Godsmark

By O. C. Godsmark, M.D.

THE reported custom among the Chinese of paying their doctor to keep them well, is one that more enlightened people might do well to consider. There is a great deal of good, sound sense in the idea of living above disease, of keeping oneself well.

The great majority of mankind simply live along in about the same rut in which their fathers lived, and when they succumb to the ravages of disease, they feel that some wind of ill luck has blown their way. When some member of the family sickens and dies, it is looked upon as a strange, unaccountable, almost unjust dispensation of Providence.

Now, the whole truth of the matter is just here: In the majority of these cases, the cause of the sickness and death may be easily discovered. We each of us have a certain amount of vital energy, with which to run our human machine, perform our various duties of life, and also to ward off the ravages of disease. When we spend all our strength in our work and worry, especially the latter, we so rob our system of its share of vitality that it can not properly digest our food, and thus our machines become weakened and open to the inroads constantly being made upon them by the millions of disease germs that surround us everywhere. We must keep our machines clean and in splendid working order, or they will become clogged with impurities and will break down under the attacks of germ diseases that we can not wholly avoid coming in contact with. The secret of the whole thing is in living above disease, and being able, at all times, to resist and throw off its constant attacks.

Some have more physical force than others. We each have a certain, definite amount of vitality with which to get along through life, and there is also a definite limit to that force, or vitality, granted to each of us. We can no more go beyond that limit without suffering the consequences, than can a man having a definite deposit in the savings-bank, drawing a specified amount of interest each year, check out from that bank more than the accumulating interest without drawing directly upon the principal and thus cutting down his future income and usefulness. Suppose he goes on drawing upon his principal, he must know that sooner or later that fund will be exhausted, his checks no longer honored at the bank, and his standing lost in the business world. This is very plain and simple. We all understand it and see financial wrecks all about us.

But is this any more serious, is it as disastrous to life and well-being, as for us to go on continually overdrawing our account in the bank of health, where we each have a certain definite amount deposited to our credit by the great Father of us all? The man who continually uses up his vitality, often going beyond what he well knows he should in his drafts upon that most precious deposit in the bank of health, need not be surprised if some day he comes to the end of his account and finds his checks no longer honored there. When we find ourselves going beyond our limit, stop and consider that the reckoning day will come, and it may not be far away. It is much easier to earn more money to again deposit to our credit in an earthly bank than it is ever to regain our health and lost vitality when that is once exhausted.

We have doubtless all heard of the man who foolishly

“Spent all his health In order to get wealthy, Then spent all his wealth, But he could not get healthy.”

There are other drafts upon our stock of vitality besides our work and worry that may not be so easily recognized. These are the invisible forces all around us tending to destroy our every energy. The air becomes heavily laden with the poisonous odors arising from cesspools, decaying garbage, and filth of all kinds. When these are allowed to remain about our premises we openly invite disease into our families. The dark corners and damp rooms in our homes are excellent breeding-places for the germs of disease that abound in such places.

Open the windows; if necessary, take down the shades and let the blessed sunshine come in. There is healing in its wings. It is a true statement that where the sun does not enter, the doctor must. Sunshine and pure air in abundance are Heaven’s great restorers. If we will but quit our worry, stop our overworking, take an abundance of sleep at regular hours, breathe deeply of the pure air God has so freely given us, live in the sunshine, and continually let our hearts go out in praise to our blessed Redeemer for all these privileges, we may live above disease. We may be where the ravages of sickness will have but little effect upon us. We may have health for sickness, strength for weakness, hope for despondency, and usefulness for — well, let’s be well, and be thankful for the privilege of being of some help to others, and of helping others to be well also.