You Can Thrive ~ Keep Your Body in Shape

Today there’s a huge emphasis on physical health. Millions of people sign up for marathons, bike rides, walks, aerobics, yoga and zumba—or determine to get in workout sessions several times a week even if they would rather do something, anything, that didn’t require such effort.  Yet, ironically, in the middle of this fitness craze, we can’t miss the fact that we’re also in the middle of an epidemic of obesity and diabetes.How do we to make sense of this? And what does it say about how we view our bodies?   Do they belong to us? Or to God? Can we treat them as we wish? Or does Scripture have something to say about how we care for them? Let’s see.

• Stand in Awe

David, the Psalmist, wrote thousands of years ago that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139: 14). He had none of the detailed scientific knowledge we have today but that didn’t stop him from standing in awe of its Creator. Even without our modern diagnostic tools, he still marveled at the intricate functioning of the human body.

• Your Body is Incredible

Even if every body is not perfectly formed, they are still amazing. Your body might be shorter or taller than you’d like, or have some other less-than-perfect family feature—a nose or chin you’d like to change, or perhaps some other flaw in your own eyes. But, looking at the big picture, we inhabit the most incredibly complex and highest work of God’s hand.In addition to being an awe-inspiring creation of God, here are six other reasons for valuing our bodies:

• Your body is given to you for a purpose—so you can live and work and provide for others. Doing what you can to stay as healthy as possible is a faithful response to God’s purpose for you.
• Your body is given for your pleasure—to taste good food, hear heart-lifting music, and to express and receive life-enriching human love. It is a gift of God’s love.
• Your body is a vehicle—to express delight and devotion to God, and through which you accomplish His plans on earth.  
• Your body is not our own—you have been bought with a price and it is not yours to either neglect, indulge, abuse, or misuse.
• Your body is yours to present to God—you are called to offer your body as a living sacrifice, allowing God to use it for His sovereign purposes (Romans 12:1).

Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit—God dwells in you, and as a holy vessel you are to honor God with how you treat it (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Getting hold of these truths and recognizing that God had something to say about what I put in my body and how I treat it, provided the push I needed to start changing some unhelpful habits.How about you?How do you view the one body you have? Can you add to the list above?Blessings,Poppy SmithInternational speaker, multi-published author, Bible teacher, and spiritual coachInspiring Women to Thrive! Permission to use this article is granted provided the following credit is fully included.Poppy Smith is funny, warm, and passionate about helping women grow spiritually and personally so they experience the love and power of Christ in life’s ups and downs. A former teaching leader with Bible Study Fellowship, Poppy has a Masters in Spiritual Formation and ministers extensively as a retreat and conference speaker both in the US and around the world. For more information about Poppy’s heart, her books and ministry, please visit her website at www.poppysmith.com.The above graphic was purchased from Dreamstime and is used with permission © Andreykr | Dreamstime.com