Ouch!
When does that word (or something similar) pop to the surface?
Most likely, it’s when you bump into something…
Your toe with a bedpost.
Your shin with a coffee table.
Your head with a low hanging limb.
Your mind with a not-so-subtle reminder.
That’s my response when reading verses like 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
“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.”
Now, the immediate context of these verses is related to avoiding sexual immorality, but there is a larger principle at work.
I’m not off the hook for honoring God with my body by simply avoiding sexual immorality.
If God gave us our bodies for the purpose of honoring Him—which He did, by the way—then shouldn’t we give some thought to proactively embracing healthy habits as well as avoiding destructive ones?
Ouch!
I’ve been in the process recently of putting some intentional accountability in place to help me with healthy habits.
After having two arterial stents placed in November 2016, I got really intentional about healthy eating and consistent exercise. I engaged a personal trainer and worked out consistently, lost 35 pounds, and felt better than I had in years.
I kept it going for a year until my contract with my trainer expired. And then life happened. You know what that’s like. I let my eating slide a bit and exercise went to the place it so often goes.
So, 9 pounds up and the cost of a trainer committed to other priorities, I needed a new plan and an accountability partner to get me back on track. Check and check!
But, even with a plan and an accountability partner (or 3), I still have to choose to work the plan.
Most importantly, I have to remember the purpose of the plan.
Mrs. Sweetie and I just celebrated 34 years of marriage. Thirty-four more puts me at age 90. That’s not outside the realm of possibility, but it’s not the goal. The goal is to have as many years enjoying life together as possible.
But that’s not the primary purpose of the plan.
We have three grandchildren (so far). I want to see them grow up, get married, and make me a great-Grandpa. And I want to make memories with them.
But that’s not the primary purpose of the plan.
Here’s the primary purpose: I don’t want to do anything with my body that will undermine God’s plan for my life or, in any way, detract from His glory because my life, and how I live it visibly, matters to Him.
So, while I can think of a hundred excuses to postpone—for just one more day—the plan I worked out with one of my accountability partners, the bicycle awaits.
Question: How will you honor God with your body today? What do you need to start doing? What do you need to stop doing?
Be amazing, my friends!
