We Belong to the Lord

10,000 steps in one day is what is considered healthy. Half your body weight in water, along with vitamins and supplements. To keep up a healthy lifestyle you must also train your body with exercise at least twice a week. People who work out seem simple, obtainable even. The people who think that this is difficult are people who are unprepared. How can you be unprepared with your body? The answer is simple. If we do not treat our body so that it can perform the best we are unprepared for the task we put our body through. Example of this would be, if a runner is going to run a marathon and doesn't prepare by training and hydrating then the task at hand will be impossible to complete. 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 describes our body as a temple to the Holy Spirit. This means that our body isn't ours but a place for the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us. Our body isn't our own, belonging to God and should be treated as borrowed not owned. If I was to borrow a car from my uncle I would make sure that it was clean and had a full tank of gas when I returned it. If it was my car, it might need to be vacuumed and run on empty. We have more pride in things when we realize that it is not ours. Health isn't just about vanity; it's maintaining its condition so you can better serve others and fulfill your purpose. 

Our bodies are connected to our minds. If we are upset often our bodies are sore as a result of that feeling. If we experience pleasure like a foot rub, it sends dopamine to our brains to make us feel relaxed and happy. This is called our psychosomatic health—the idea that our emotional and mental state directly impacts our physical well-being. The Bible agrees with this theory in Proverbs 17:22: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." How we feel affects our health. Proverbs 14:30 says "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." God wants us to give our worries and stress to him, releasing our bodies from the things that weigh us down. 

Another way we can treat our body like a temple is to practice self control. The Bible celebrates food and rest while it cautions against the lack of self-control. This can be things like gluttony or drunkenness. The Bible teaches us to have discipline in these areas that will cause us to sin. God also gives us instruction to rest, this also comes as a form of self control, like myself making time to rest is often difficult when there seems to be many tasks that need to be completed. The Bible tells us to hold the Sabbath (Sunday) as a Holy day. We need rest, and to neglect oneself of rest is going against how God designed us to best be able to function. 

The last subject that will help us treat our body worthy of the Holy Spirit is to keep it clean. Not only should we have proper hygiene for those around us, but also for Him who dwells in us. When I was little I always imagined my heart as a tiny studio apartment that my "little" Jesus lived in, this is how my young mind processed it. Although Jesus is anything but little, it is important to keep ourselves clean. The Levitical Laws taught us this by washing, quarantine for skin diseases, and avoiding certain meats (like pork or shellfish in an era without refrigeration) likely prevented many food borne illnesses and infections. Not saying that we can eat certain foods, but the principle of taking care of one's hygiene had a vital opponent in health as well. If we are well, we can serve. The Bible tells us that our body, mind, and spirit belong to the Lord and by taking care of each other, we are able to fulfill the purpose that we were created for, to give God glory with our lives. ​