1 Corinthians 6:19-20, New Living Translation

"Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." 

One of the things many of us in this day and age tend to overlook is our health. I know that I have even been guilty of this. You get so busy with work, kids, social media, paying the bills, taking care of others that you tend to disregard the base of all of these tasks.

You must realize that being able to do all of these things for others is dependent on your health and abilities. If you do not take care of the body God has blessed you with and its health, then how do you expect to fulfill your other Christian duties for others? How can you effectively share the Gospel and God's love if you cannot function? 

Can we do God’s work at our best if we are feeling tired or sluggish?

Can we serve Him at our best if our minds are foggy because we haven’t fueled our bodies with enough fuel?

Taking care of our bodies is not about vanity. That’s what the media wants us to believe. We take care of our bodies because it is in His word. We are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. Our bodies are given to us to do His work. A healthy body provides us with the energy to do God’s work. As Christians, taking care of our bodies is taking care of the place where the Holy Spirit dwells.

Our bodies are not our own. We were created and bought for a price, “the precious blood of Jesus.” So, how then can you honor God and glorify Him with your body if you are running it ragged to the point of exhaustion on a constant basis, never giving it rest or nutrition that it needs? Is that truly honoring God? Do you think He is happy with the way you are treating the body that He gave you? Ouch. I know I have been guilty of running myself ragged and not taking care of my body the way God wants me to.

I am not saying we should become self-absorbed. We need to honor our Creator by taking good care of what He has given us in this life. If He has given you the ability to see, walk, and live in a country that offers healthy food options. Instead of junk, then show the Lord that you honor Him by using what He has provided you with and taking care of your bodies. This way you can bring more honor and glory to God’s name by going out into the world as a vibrant, able-bodied Christian. What a blessing to be able to give your testimony, help others in need, volunteer in missions, or even just show God’s love to someone who may have never seen it before.

Remember that the more we do to take care of our body, the better our body will be prepared to serve Him. We take care of our bodies because they are the temples of the Holy Spirit. It is not about vanity or turning heads. We must also remember not to obsess over taking care of our bodies. It is about taking care of the vessel that the Lord has given us to do His work. We maintain our cars and keep them fueled appropriately, so when we need to use them, they are ready. In the same way, we must maintain our bodies and feed them properly, so we are ready when God needs to use our bodies to serve Him.

Can you stand before your Creator and tell Him that you have taken care of this body you are in right now? If not, then create a plan to get yourself into better health.

Fuel your body with good nutrition, not just fast food and sodas. Get up and move around and exercise. Rest your body when it’s needed. Show God how much you love and appreciate Him by caring for what He has blessed you with - your body!