Avoid Toxins
Your Body Is A Temple:
Greenledge Studios
T h i n k hard, work
soft
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Would you knowingly eat poison? Not likely. Yet, if you are old enough to know it, you probably are aware that what you put into your body is a personal choice.
Avoiding harmful substances can be difficult these days since man-made chemicals have become common, and some of these are known to be highly detrimental to life. Even some common household substances, for example, can be extremely hazardous to health. It is thought that there may be a hundred more [different] chemicals in our bodies than the day we were born. Biology is the least understood of sciences, so more discoveries will undoubtedly be made in the future about how modern-day toxins are affecting human populations. In the meantime, be aware that while man-made substances do not make the environment any better, man is in fact the only lifeform on earth capable of destroying all life.
Medicine has also been misused in modern times. One example is Aspirin, which was thought to be harmless at one time, and has since been largely replaced by Tylenol. Another case in point is the use of anti-biotics, which many people argue has caused the proliferation of extremely drug-resistant strains of bacteria. Drugs affect the body differently than alcohol, although either used to excess can have untoward effects on the body, particularly the liver. Abuse of prescription or illegal drugs is also a growing problem. Unregulated drugs like designer drugs have even more unpredictable effects and can be in some cases permanently debilitating. Hey, you can die from drinking too much water or eating too much food!
The main distinction between alcohol and drugs is that alcohol, like water, is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the stomach wall. For this reason, alcohol can be seen to be more natural than drugs as far as the body is concerned. Since alcohol replaces water in the body, severe dehydration results from excessive alcohol consumption, producing symptoms associated with a 'hangover'. When consumed rapidly and in high concentrations, alcohol can be highly toxic and can lead to death in a few minutes. For these reasons, plus the advantages of staying sober, alcohol should be used in moderation or not at all. Last but not least, many societies around the world recognize that alcohol can be extremely dangerous when used by the driver of a motor vehicle.
It is recommended that alcohol or drugs not be used at all by those who have difficulty using it in moderation (Matthew 5:29,30). Other reasons not to use intoxicating substances are impairment of judgement and the slowing of the learning process. Additionally, some other substances are commonly used in some cultures and may not seem very important but are actually harmful to the body. Examples that can be included in this category are cigarettes, chewing tobacco, betel nut, snuff, coffee, and tea although the list is not by any means exhaustive. If it's not food or water, it's probably harmful!
Pregnant women are warned that during the development of the baby in the womb many substances can be detrimental to the infant, including both substances as natural as alcohol and as foreign as tobacco. The list could go on, but a woman should do her own research to ensure a healthy baby. Thalomide was a prescription drug which at one time was used by pregnant women prior to their realizing that it prevented the formation of babies' arms and legs.
The body is a temple of God through which we worship God acceptably. If we are already incapacitated by long-term drug abuse, we can have sure hope that God is able to restore us at an appropriate time. In the meantime, we can get filled with holy spirit rather than using alcohol or other substances (see Ephesians 5:18).