Dear Believers of our worldwide church,
Greetings with 3 John 2. “Beloved I wish above all things that thou might prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospers.”
I am excited to share that our annual Health Awareness Sabbath is coming soon, on January 18, 2025. It was established by the GC Medical Missionary Department to bring awareness to our beautiful health message at the beginning of every year. This Sabbath is an excellent occasion to involve the youth as active participants.
We encourage you to dedicate this year’s special Sabbath to a deeper appreciation of what we call the Right Arm. You can make this Sabbath practical, relevant, Bible and Spirit of Prophecy-based, and most importantly Christ-centered. Let us direct our people to the Great Physician, the Model Medical Missionary, Jesus Christ.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens, Ecclesiastes 3:1.
Our theme in 2025 is The Rhythm of Our Being. We know that keeping our body clocks in synchrony with our various daily activities is a vital key to good health. Factors that govern our body rhythms are sleep patterns, light exposure, eating time, stress, temperature, hormones, and keeping the seventh day Sabbath.
“One of the most deplorable effects of the original apostasy was the loss of man’s power of self-control. Only as this power is regained can there be real progress.”—The Ministry of Healing, p. 129.
“The mind does not wear out nor break down so often on account of diligent employment and hard study, as on account of eating improper food at improper times, and of careless inattention to the laws of health. . . . Diligent study is not the principal cause of the breaking down of the mental powers. The main cause is improper diet, irregular meals, and a lack of physical exercise. Irregular hours for eating and sleeping sap the brain forces.”—The Youth Instructor, May 31, 1894.
Temperance sets limits to what we do and at what time we do them. This maintains a healthy balance in all facets of life. When the physical, mental, and spiritual components are in balance, healthy living is the result. Let us use this Health Awareness Sabbath to focus on specific areas in our lives that need to be strengthened and balanced. Here are some practical ideas on how to promote regularity every day:
- Have regular bedtime and waking times.
- Get adequate sleep.
- Make healthy plant-based food choices and eat in moderation.
- Eat your meals at regular times each day.
- Engage in consistent, regular exercise.
- Drink adequate amounts of pure water.
- Get sunlight in moderation.
- Be temperate in all things.
- Get plenty of fresh air.
- Keep the Sabbath holy from sunset to sundown.
- Trust God every day for guidance and protection.
“True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 562.
This means that all our habits and activities need to be regulated and timed for the very best outcome for our health! How we live is critical to our Whole Health—spiritual, physical, and emotional.
I wish our believers worldwide an informative and enjoyable 2025 Health Awareness Sabbath! Make 2025 the best year, physically, mentally, and spiritually!
Yours in good health,
John H. Baer
GC Medical Missionary Department
