Spirit & Body

I once found myself trapped in the whirlwind of a sedentary lifestyle and not nurturing God’s temple. Long hours at a desk, unhealthy eating habits, and lack of exercise took their toll on my physical and mental well-being. I was constantly fatigued and prone to illness. My self-confidence waned.

During this time, I stumbled upon Paul’s words: Do you not know that your bodies are temples 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 bodies. They resonated deeply within me and changed the trajectory of my life. Our bodies are sacred, not merely vessels for our own desires. They are dwelling places for the Holy Spirit. God has entrusted us with these physical temples, and our responsibility is to honor Him by caring for them.

Our health is not a matter of vanity or personal preference but a spiritual calling. When we neglect our bodies, we diminish our capacity to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. Then our physical well-being affects our spiritual and emotional well-being and impacts our relationships, productivity, and overall satisfaction.

God wants us to live abundant lives filled with vitality and joy. Our bodies are a precious gift, and we should be good stewards of this gift. Nurturing our health involves intentional diet, exercise, rest, and stress-management choices. By prioritizing our physical well-being, we create fertile ground for spiritual growth, enabling us to serve God and others with renewed strength and energy.

We should regularly reevaluate our approach to health and commit to honor God with our bodies. We can start by incorporating small, manageable changes into our daily routines. Choosing nourishing foods that fuel our bodies. Engaging in regular physical activity that brings us joy. Prioritizing sufficient rest. Important too, is seeking balance in all areas of our lives, ensuring that stress does not overwhelm us.

Caring for our health is not selfish but rather an act of worship. When we prioritize our well-being, we align ourselves with God’s desire for us to live abundant and purposeful lives. Embrace this divine invitation to nurture the temple of God within you and experience the transformative power it brings to every aspect of your existence. Let your body become a beacon of God’s light that radiates His love and empowers you to fulfill your unique calling.

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I could have done better.

Two different companies share my office space. Tara is the first person someone sees when they enter our office. She sorts all the mail. One day, I noticed a package on her desk for my supervisor. Since Tara was at lunch, I picked it up and put it on my supervisor’s desk. Later in the day, Tara was upset because I had not let her put it on the supervisor’s desk. This, in turn, upset me.

About a month later, I saw the mail person at the door and signed for a package. I passed by Tara’s desk, and she glared at me. I told her the package was for my supervisor. Feeling stressed from the previous incident, I mumbled “back off” under my breath. Tara heard me and jumped on my case. I called the company owner and immediately explained the situation. I wanted him to listen to my side of the story to avoid misunderstanding.

When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day. Do not give the Devil a way to defeat you. Looking at this Scripture made me realize I had not taken care of my anger by the end of the day. When this happened the first time, I should have called the owner and explained the situation. Had I pursued peace as God says, I might have avoided the second incident with Tara.

Be sure to take care of your anger before the end of the day.

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“What’s on your mind?”

This question pops up on my computer. Some days, I must look for my mind. I may have lost it a time or two, but it’s primarily right where it should be in my head and on my shoulders, with a neck in between. Heads should be kept cool, especially when things get hot. I tried dipping mine in the pool once, but my hair turned green.

I remember Mom saying, “Don’t waste that.”

She recycled everything—reused plastic containers and bottles, paper towels, and aluminum foil. Nothing got tossed before it was mended, patched, and altered. Fabric got saved in the rag bag for quilting.

Waste not, want not. The most crucial thing one might waste is a mind. We see many people who turn to substances, seeking to ease their minds. Artificial peace? That’s a sure way to lose it. Their temporary relief is just that. Temporary. Confusion, fear, lies, and uncertainty plague this world. Temporary relief is not enough. Who needs a pickled mind?

As Paul says, the best way to have a sound mind is to practice renewing it. God’s Word is a treasure that nothing else can offer. The better question is not, “What’s on your mind?” but “What’s on God’s mind?”

I open the pages of the Bible and find comfort, mercy, and peace. And the best part is, this is an eternal source of soundness. God promises renewal of the spirit, soul, and physical body. No substance can accomplish that.

How can you renew your mind?

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Not long after I turned thirty, I noticed a slight deterioration in my body.

Lengthy walks caused achy, cracking knees. I became more near-sighted. My body was stiff each morning, making daily stretching a sudden necessity. “I feel like I’m getting old!” I exclaimed to my seventy-two-year-old dad one day on the phone. The comment made him chuckle and exclaim, “Just you wait, kid!”

Despite the most valiant efforts to stay young, strong, and healthy, our bodies weaken. They tire and scar. Eventually, our strength and flesh will fail altogether, and our physical selves will perish. Our inward man, on the other hand, isn’t subjected to the same corrosion that we endure physically. Instead, we can renew, transform, and strengthen our inward, spiritual lives daily through Christ.

As we seek to better know, emulate, and follow Christ through prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other followers of Christ, we make a crucial investment in our spiritual health and strengthen and revitalize ourselves daily.

The truth, hope, and eternal life we carry in our hearts are immune to the deterioration our physical bodies endure. As we remain affixed to the giver of life, our inward person remains secure and flourishing.

Although our physical bodies will fail, we can remain confident that the truth and hope of salvation we hold inside is secure. The Lord is our strength and our portion forever.

How can you strengthen your inward self?

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I have always struggled with pride, so to serve like the Son was difficult.

Sometimes, I genuinely thought I was better than others and that my wants and needs were more important. As a result, I didn’t care for others and their emotions and needs. I was rude, mean, and hurtful. I made crude jokes and ignored what was important to other people. I injured relationships that have still not healed. Simply put, I was an arrogant bully.

However, as I sought to be like Jesus, the greatest and most humble servant of all, the Lord reminded me there is no room for pride. Thankfully, He opened my eyes to the hurt I had caused others and graciously humbled me. It is still something I am uprooting with God’s grace, but as a follower of Jesus, I know I should be a humble servant just as He was.

One thing about Jesus that intrigues me is his humility, especially in His servanthood. Jesus is God and, therefore, deserves honor, praise, and glory. Yet the Creator of all things came down in the form of His creation to serve His creation.

I can barely comprehend Jesus’ humility because of how great His act was. Jesus, who is everything, made Himself nothing by becoming a servant. Servanthood involves humility. If we seek to imitate Jesus, we must humble ourselves and serve others. Jesus’ humility and service for us was more significant than anything we could ever do. All we can do is walk in His footsteps with humility and thankfulness.

The Lord will provide us with many service opportunities, whether in the church, a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, or our neighborhood. No matter how small the service, it is never insignificant. Humility means considering others’ needs more significant than our own and serving them.

Who can you think of that you could serve? Ask God how you can be His servant.

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