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Nine months and three days after September 11, 2001, I raised my right hand and swore to defend this nation against all enemies—foreign and domestic. Two things happened that day. I joined the United States Army to become a medic, and my medical career began. Upon swearing in, I falsely assumed that America’s most fierce enemy inhabited the deserts of Southwest Asia, but the United States was invaded by our worst enemy long before 9/11.

In 2001, noncommunicable diseases—which are linked to lifestyle choices—killed approximately 1,349,760 people in the United States. That’s equivalent to 450 September 11ths! In addition, 940,000 marriages ended in divorce, 32.9 million people were living in poverty, and 35.2 million Americans—under 24 years of age—had not completed their high school education. All of these killers are linked to lifestyle choices. Lifestyle choices are associated with our level of knowledge.

The Prophet Hosea gave us a message from the Lord. God told the Israelites that His people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Life is about choices, and our decisions are made based on our knowledge. Statistically, education is reciprocally related to income and health. Adults that attain higher levels of education usually have a higher annual income. They are healthier, and they live longer. So, as stated in Hosea 4:6, our lack of knowledge is directly linked to our survival.