"Therefore,
brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a
living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual act
of worship. "
Romans 12:1
Romans 12:1
"Do
you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom
you have received from God?
You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"Physical
training is good"
1 Timothy 4:8
1 Timothy 4:8
Although
the passage from Romans refers to serving and the Corinthians passage refers
specifically to sexual immorality, and the Timothy passage is actually about
practicing the spiritual disciplines, it
seems to me that the broader reality that scripture teaches us is that our
bodies matter, that our bodies are not simply disposable matter as if the spirit
and soul are something else. The
bible teaches us that we are a unit, that spirit, soul and our physical bodies
are one. This means that our
bodies are spiritual things, not just disposable containers of the spiritual.
I
have read about the “sitting disease”, that those of us who sit all day in
our work are in much greater danger of ill health and premature death.
I know that for myself exercise is a magic bullet.
When I exercise, I simply feel better, have more energy, am of more value
to others, am happier, am more alert to God, am more apt to pray, do my bible
reading, and overall be better for other people.
Yet
exercise is a struggle. I
often simply don’t feel like doing it.
But that’s exactly when I need it the most.
Same with eating in an opposite way.
When I feel like bad food, that’s when I get it.
These facts of my life lead me to the other thing about our bodies.
We must master them or outside forces will.
Discipline in the matters of body care is a spiritual issue.
It’s the issue of arranging my life to be under the mastery of God or
under the mastery of the principalties and powers of this earth whose purpose is
to consume us by turning us into consumers of comfort rather than dispensers of
the energies of God for the sake of others.
To be that kind of energy, love and grace dispenser that God wants us to
be we must assume the responsibility of making sure our God given bodies are up
to the task.
What’s
your plan for the care of your body in 2016?
“Lord,
because my body matters to you, I will take care of it and I will begin today
and I will keep it up. If I
falter, I will just get up and begin again, with your help,
Amen”
For
more:
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