Your Body is a Temple

Your body is a temple for Jesus, so it makes perfect sense to keep it healthy.  Being healthy means more than simply avoiding illness.  It means living to glorify God.  Everything we do to care for the body God gave us shows how thankful we are…and I’m not just talking about the food we eat!

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have form God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify god in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJ

Living life to its full potential; physically, mentally, socially and spiritually is known as Living the Abundant Life, which is exactly what God wants for us.

Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  John 10:10 NKJ: 

Don’t Worry Be Healthy!  Stress and worry cause undue wear and tear on the mind and body.  Of course, it is natural to be concerned about the important things, but constantly fretting about things that you cannot possibly have any control of is a waste of time and emotion.  Focusing on these little and insignificant things will only drain you of what is good.  It will only make you blind to the many good blessings in your life…blessings that you also have no control over.  That’s right; you cannot control the bad or the good.   When rain falls, everyone gets wet; when the sun shines everyone feels its warmth. 

Jesus teaches about worry in Matthew 6:25-34.  Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father fees them.  Are you not of more value than they?”  Matthew 6:26 NKJ

Jesus went on to say, “So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Matthew 6:28-30 NKJ

(n fact, many of life’s lessons can be learned in the first 7 chapters of the book of Matthew, but don’t stop here! The entire Bible has plenty to offer.  The word, B-I-B-L-E is an acronym for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.  Study it!  Read it again and again!  Every time you read each story in the Bible you are sure to learn something new.)

Disease and accidents are things we have little control over, but we can make sensible choices to reduce risk and promote good health.  Many diseases are brought on by poor eating habits and lack of exercise.  Obesity is one of the greatest killers; yet, one of the easiest to prevent. 

God created a perfect world and He provided Adam and Eve everything they needed in the Garden of Eden.  Consider the diet that God intended for all of us then wonder why so many choose to carry the excess weight that will only drag them down and reduce the days of their life.

Food from God:  The diet in the Garden of Eden consisted of fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains.  Since there was no death, animals were not eaten; therefore, there was no such thing as high cholesterol and heart disease!  We do need protein, but we don’t need to get it from any animal products!  A plant based diet provides high-nutrition and low-calories.  God’s prescribed diet is superior to any other.

And god said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed to you it shall be for food.  Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.”  Genesis 1:29, 30 NKJ

Exercise:  “I don’t have time,” is the most common excuse of all!  We are given 24 hours in every day.  If we can find 6 - 8 hours to sleep, 8 hours to work and all the time we spend eating in front of the TV, then we can certainly find time to take care of our body!  Instead of gorging on two big plates full of food for dinner, followed by chips and ice cream in front of the TV, eat just one plate of food, drink plenty of water, then go for a walk!  Enjoy nature; listen to the different sounds of birds, crickets and cicadas.  Look at the different colors in the sky and shapes of the clouds.  If your time is so limited, use this time for prayer and reflection as well as exercise.

Water, Air and Sunshine:  The sun, air and water are gifts from God and great sources of nutrition!  Water is essential for health.  We need to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and to promote healthy kidney function and regulate our body temperature.  The sun is a valuable source of vitamin D, necessary for maintaining hormone levels and promoting cell growth.  Vitamin D helps the body process calcium for strong bones and healthy teeth.  Fresh air is critical to healthy lung function. In fact, we simply cannot live without air!  Unfortunately air pollution is part of our world today, but we do have some control.  I don’t think I have to go into the health effects of smoking! 

Note:  Though sugary drinks, alcoholic drinks, coffee and tea do contain water, the sugar, alcohol and caffeine are detrimental to health and they destroy the benefits of pure water.  Caffeine actually acts as a diuretic and depletes the body of more liquid that it provides.  (Have you noticed how often you need to urinate after drinking beer, coffee or tea compared to pure, clean water?)

Rest:  I’m not talking about laziness!  That is one of the reasons so many people are overweight today; they are just plain lazy!  On the other hand, lack of sleep can also effect metabolism and promote weight gain.  Lack of sleep can lead to high stress which can lead to impulsive eating and obesity.  The rest I’m referring to here is 6 – 8 hours of sleep each night and 24 hours per week of rest from the secular world.  God rewards us by giving us the Sabbath rest after a 6-day week of productive work.  I work hard all week; therefore, the commandment to rest on the Sabbath is the easiest one of all to keep!  You say you want me to rest one day a week…oh yeah!  Sounds good to me! 

Of course there is more to the Sabbath day than simply resting, but that is another whole article which I promise to write soon. 

“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.  In it you shall do no work:  you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day.  Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”  Exodus 20:8-11 NKJ

Healthy Resources:

Eggs – good or bad?  There has been some controversy about eggs.  Though they are not a necessary part of a healthy diet, I like them too!  There are far worse things to eat than eggs.  If you are going to eat eggs, consider Free Range Eggs versus Caged Chicken eggs.


Spiritual Health – The Three Angels Message is an important message for life – everlasting life!

Humor – Laughter is the Best Medicine!  Contrary to popular belief, being a Seventh-day Adventist is not all about being simple, humble, serious and low-key.  Check out the side bar to the right for humorous videos and some good (clean) jokes.  There is plenty of evidence in the Bible that God does have a sense of humor so go ahead and enjoy a good laugh once in a while.