It is not often that I go to church and come away from it with a different message then what was preached. I heard today’s message loud and clear, “God wants what is best for me”. In fact, part of that message is directly influencing this post. As well as 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:
19 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; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Typically, this passage is in reference to sex and sexual sin, in fact the verses leading up to this passage make that abundantly clear. But today, a different point of view occurred to me.
In a world where the biggest burger is the best and the most food for the best price is what determines people’s eating choices, it seems that people forget to honor their bodies. Time and again we are reminded that this is a world where people are always on the go. Magazines display headlines promising to give you a full hour workout in five minutes or quick and healthy meals for that mom on the go. But in reality, in the country in which I live, obesity keeps rising and with that the amount of people who forget to honor their bodies.
And, let me just put it out there now: In NO WAY do I believe that a person must be “skinny” to be healthy. In fact, a lot of skinny people are just as unhealthy as heavier people.
My point is that people no longer take time to take care of their bodies and because of this they are too afraid to fully live their lives. Is this true for everyone? Absolutely not. Is it true for me? Yes, and it is true for other people I run across who are unhappy with their weight/body image.
Perhaps, part of honoring God is making sure that I take care of my body to the best of my ability. God has given me everything I need to make sure I honor him. He has provided the fruits and vegetables, the dairy, the meat. He has given me feet to run with and a beautiful earth to run on.
For most of my life, I have not taken care of the temple God has given me, not properly. And, for the first time in my life, it’s finally clicking and I’m finally getting it. I’ve focused on eating more fruits and vegetables and less fried foods and fast food. This week I plan to add in the exercise. I can’t wait to see the body God meant for me to have; strong and powerful, beautiful, something I can look at and feel content. I am working at honoring my body so that I can better honor God because the price he paid for me is worth everything I will sacrifice in return because God only wants what is best for me.
19 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; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Typically, this passage is in reference to sex and sexual sin, in fact the verses leading up to this passage make that abundantly clear. But today, a different point of view occurred to me.
In a world where the biggest burger is the best and the most food for the best price is what determines people’s eating choices, it seems that people forget to honor their bodies. Time and again we are reminded that this is a world where people are always on the go. Magazines display headlines promising to give you a full hour workout in five minutes or quick and healthy meals for that mom on the go. But in reality, in the country in which I live, obesity keeps rising and with that the amount of people who forget to honor their bodies.
And, let me just put it out there now: In NO WAY do I believe that a person must be “skinny” to be healthy. In fact, a lot of skinny people are just as unhealthy as heavier people.
My point is that people no longer take time to take care of their bodies and because of this they are too afraid to fully live their lives. Is this true for everyone? Absolutely not. Is it true for me? Yes, and it is true for other people I run across who are unhappy with their weight/body image.
Perhaps, part of honoring God is making sure that I take care of my body to the best of my ability. God has given me everything I need to make sure I honor him. He has provided the fruits and vegetables, the dairy, the meat. He has given me feet to run with and a beautiful earth to run on.
For most of my life, I have not taken care of the temple God has given me, not properly. And, for the first time in my life, it’s finally clicking and I’m finally getting it. I’ve focused on eating more fruits and vegetables and less fried foods and fast food. This week I plan to add in the exercise. I can’t wait to see the body God meant for me to have; strong and powerful, beautiful, something I can look at and feel content. I am working at honoring my body so that I can better honor God because the price he paid for me is worth everything I will sacrifice in return because God only wants what is best for me.
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January 10, 2011 at 6:49 AM
great post, i haven't thought about that verse like that. my mom used it when i was a teenager and really wanted a tattoo.
it's always great to meet a fellow Christian!