72. Natural Remedies
Today’s reading: “The Ministry of Healing” pp. 127, 128a.
While the physician uses nature’s remedies for physical disease, he should point his patients to Him who can relieve the maladies of both the soul and the body.
That quote from p. 111 is reprised in this section as we look at the iconic 8 natural remedies.
We learned yesterday that drugs don’t cure. Today we learn what does… nature. To learn this is the “only hope of better things.” Does this still apply to our situation today with non-communicable, chronic diseases predominant?
Remembering that “complete restoration” was Christ’s mission (p. 17) so teaching the restorative power of nature is an important part of the physician’s job.
What are the principles taught?
- Restorative power is in nature, not drugs.
- Disease is nature’s effort “to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health.”
So to treat disease:
- Find the cause
- Change unhealthy conditions
- Correct wrong habits
- Assist nature to expel toxins and re-establish healthy conditions.
How we assist nature is by using the true remedies listed. The physician is to teach every person what these remedies are and how to use them. Not just in principle but in practice. Is this still applicable? Do these remedies work with our diseases today?
Using these remedies,
- takes care and quite a bit of effort
- takes time, results are gradual, even slow
- correcting bad habits requires sacrifice
But the benefits are a healthy body and a healthy mind.
Even better than treatment is prevention. To prevent disease, we each have a responsibility inform ourselves about nature’s laws and obey them. Remember:
…the laws of nature, as truly as the precepts of the Decalogue, are divine, and… only in obedience to them can health be recovered or preserved. p.113.
We all need to understand and apply physiology. In fact it is a duty!
We need to study the body/mind connection and the laws that control them. Cutting edge science right there!
