When you hear the word "health" you probably immediately think of someone who eats salads and goes running, or something of the sort. That is what type of picture pops into my mind as well, but there is so much more behind health than what everyone talks about on a daily basis!
So, everyone knows that we should eat well and exercise to have a healthier, better life without so much pain and health problems when we're older...not to mention you want to look good. But, should that really be your goal in life? Should you be striving to feel and look good? I believe that there are much better reasons for living a healthy lifestyle.
First, where did our bodies come from in the first place? God made them. He formed each of us in our mothers wombs, designed by His hands for a purpose. I believe that we should take care of the bodies He gave us, using them to His glory. I'm not saying that you have to be legalistic about it, never eating a bite of sugar or something unhealthy. People can get way too caught up in rules, causing that to become our main focus instead of Christ.
In 1 Cor. 3:16-17 Paul expresses the importance of our bodies.
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
Do you view your body as a temple of God?
There are so many things that we do daily and don't even think about. If we lived with this verse in mind, how different would we act? What does this verse even mean? Is it talking about eating harmful foods? Not getting enough rest? Dressing in a way that draws attention to God's temple in an immoral way? What about acting in ways that would defile the temple of God?
This is really not a small matter. The temple of God is a place of worship, and if we defile our temples, we are going against God. I am not saying that you are defiling the temple if you eat something unhealthy, as it says in Matt. 15:11 "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."
So, eating something bad for you is not going to defile you, but still I watch what I put into my body since I want to keep my temple healthy and strong, prepared to serve the Lord in any way I can. But, what you say and do does defile you. If a girl dresses in something that is immodest and draws attention to her body and causes men to be tempted and stumble, that defiles her temple. It is using what God made as something good, holy, and beautiful, in an immoral way.
Another thing, we need to make sure that we have the right mindset when thinking about food. If we view it as giving ourselves the nutrition we need to live, then we will be less inclined to struggle with eating junk, and overeating. My point is that many people make food an idol and a source of lust. That is when it becomes sinful. It isn't the eating that is wrong, but the mind and how we think.
I'm certainly not saying that if you live a healthy lifestyle you won't ever get sick or have health problems... because, that's not reality. Also, when we deal with times when our bodies are sick, God is not punishing us for something. Sickness is a part of our fallen world.
All we can do is live the best we can to God's glory!
So, how we think and what we believe can greatly affect how we view health.
One other aspect of health is your mental state. If you live a life filled with lots of stress and confusion, and you have let bitterness build up, you can get very sick physically. Your body can't handle the burden you put on it. By trusting God with everything in your life you can eliminate so much of the tension in your life, knowing that God can handle everything and He is in control. Then, by living in peace and love you can forgive others and not hold things against them, refusing to let the wall of bitterness build up inside you.
"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."
If you live like this, loving the Lord first and other's second, we would live life so differently! If we Love the lord with all our hearts, our souls and minds, we will live to please Him in everything. If we love Him, we will love our neighbor. We will refuse to let anger come between us, knowing it is not loving God to be angry or annoyed with someone. Besides, are we so good and wonderful that we have any right to judge someone else, or think ourselves better? No. We are sinful human beings and nothing separates us from the rest of this sinful world except for the merciful saving grace of our Lord.... and that changes EVERYTHING! He has taken away our heart of stone and put a heart of flesh in it's place (A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26).
We should be in a state of complete and utter humility, knowing that we are absolutely nothing without Christ. There is no room to boast, unless we are boasting in Him ("That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." 1 Cor. 1:31).
So, in conclusion, we should live our lives for the purpose of glorifying God ("Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31)
and have joy in all things, knowing that we are becoming the men and women that God has created us to be - perfect in Him, by His power. Live each moment taking in all He has made, giving thanks to Him in everything! Each day is a step forward in our journey towards eternity with Christ!!!
In Christ Alone,
Summer
