Do you ever say, “I’m dog tired—don’t feel like I could do another thing. I’m just too bushed to eat.”
Well, no wonder. In addition to your regular job, if you are an adult of about average weight, it has been estimated that every 24 hours
- Your heart beats 103,689 times
- Your blood travels 168 million miles
- You breathe 23,040 times
- You inhale 438 cubic feet of air
- You eat 3¼ pounds of food
- You drink 2.9 quarts of liquids
- You eliminate 7/8 of a pound of waste
- You move 750 muscles, some of them subconsciously but constantly
- You exercise 7,000,000 brain cells
- You speak 7,800 words, not all of them necessary, of course
Did you ever consider how perfectly your body is timed and controlled? How does it maintain a normal temperature of 98.6 degrees, how is the blood pressure regulated just right, why do you breathe an average of 16 times and your heart beat 72 times a minute? How is food chemically digested and the nutritive part transformed into body tissue—bone and muscle, blood and skin, hair and nails—and properly distributed, while wastes and poisons are eliminated with no ill effects?
Adapted from Abundant Living.
“Life is a gift of God. Our bodies have been given us to use in God’s service, and He desires that we shall care for and appreciate them. Our bodies must be kept in the best possible condition physically, and under the most spiritual influences. …
“A pure, healthy life is most favorable for the perfection of Christian character and for the development of the powers of mind and body. …
“The harmonious, healthy action of all the powers of body and mind results in happiness; the more elevated and refined the powers, the more pure and unalloyed the happiness.” My Life Today, 125
“But now, Oh Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 64:8
The human body contains trillions of cells, 78 organs, and over 60,000 miles of blood vessels, if stretched from end-to-end. Amazingly, they all work together to keep you alive.
Each of the 78 organs belongs to one of ten body systems. A body system is a group of parts that work together to serve a common purpose. These systems interconnect and depend upon each other to function. This is known as homeostasis and the process causes all these systems to maintain internal stability and balance. A disease or problem in one body system can disrupt homeostasis and consequently cause trouble in other body systems. For example, the heart does not beat unless the brain and nervous system tell it to, and the skeletal system is dependent on the nutrients gained from the digestive system to enable it to build strong, healthy bones.
The ten body systems are:
- Circulatory
- Respiratory
- Nervous
- Muscular
- Skeletal
- Digestive
- Endocrine (hormones)
- Lymphatic, or immune system
- Reproductive
- Integumentary (skin, hair)
So let’s see how this all works. The circulatory system consists of the heart and a complex network of blood vessels that run throughout the body. The heart pumps blood through the blood vessels and this performs a function that works with other systems. As the blood passes through the digestive system, it picks up nutrients absorbed from your last meal and these are delivered to the skeletal, muscular, and integumentary systems to help make body tissue. Oxygen taken in by the lungs, part of the respiratory system, is absorbed into the blood vessels and is carried back to the heart (because the muscles of the heart cannot function without oxygen), and ultimately to the brain—we all know what happens if there is a lack of oxygen in the brain. The brain regulates heart rate and blood pressure and the position of your bones by controlling the muscles. The circulatory system also carries hormones from the endocrine system and white blood cells from the immune system to help fight off infection. It also picks up waste products, including carbon dioxide, and carries them off to the kidneys and lungs for disposal.
Adapted from How the Body Systems are Connected by The Live Better Team at reverehealth.com
“Our bodies are a wonderful exhibition of God’s incomprehensible skill and unceasing goodness. They are not to be trifled with. With all the power of a sanctified mind and a purified soul, they are to be consecrated to God.” The Signs of the Times, April 4, 1900
“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” Psalm 139:14
“We are in a world that is opposed to righteousness and purity of character and to a growth in grace. Wherever we look, we see corruption and defilement, deformity and sin. And what is the work that we are to undertake here just previous to receiving immortality? It is to preserve our bodies holy, our spirits pure, that we may stand forth unstained amid the corruptions teeming around us in these last days. And if this work is accomplished, we need to engage in it at once, heartily and understandingly.” Counsels on Health, 44, 45
“God is the great caretaker of the human machinery. In the care of our bodies we must cooperate with Him. Love for God is essential for life and health. In order to have perfect health our hearts must be filled with hope, and love, and joy.” God’s Amazing Grace, 147