August 28 | What Does the Bible Teach About Physical Health?
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.”
The Bible teaches us to treat our bodies as the temple of God. We should be healthy, active and able to live a long life as much as it depends on us.
If you want to live a long life you will need to obey these four simple words. I call it the “Four Word Health Program;” “Eat Less, Workout More.”
By eating less I mean to consume less calories then your body burns in a day. Though most nutritionists may recommend you eat more times in a day (4-6x), the caloric intake will still be less then what your body burns. Working out more refers to burning more calories than you take in (or the same amount if you want to maintain your weight). This does not mean you need to be in the gym all day. However, if you can be active for 30-60 minutes a day with an elevated heart rate you will keep your body functioning well. You could swim, walk, jog, play with your children or ride a bike. It could be anything that safely elevates the heart rate and gets your body moving.
Specifically, in the U.S., we eat too much and exercise too little. We spend millions of dollars wasting food because we over eat and then we spend millions more on gym memberships and workout equipment; and most of the time we don’t even use our exercise equipment or regularly frequent the gym. We need the fruit of the spirit called “self-control” to live a healthy lifestyle. We have the best technologies, the best workout programs, the best foods available and the best medical programs; yet we are the most overweight and out of shape generation that has ever lived- Lord have mercy!
Make a decision today that you will not be mastered by the food you eat. Decide that you are going to live a long and healthy life that can be used mightily by God. Take a look at your schedule and make time right now to be healthy if you haven’t already. How can God use you if you’re sick and tired all the time? Joyce Meyer wrote, “I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.” So if you’re needing to lose a few pounds or a whole bunch of pounds, start today and eat less and workout more!
Reflection
Action
- Repent if you haven’t treated your body well concerning health and diet.
- Ask God to give you the strength and guidance to eat right and exercise.
- Make and keep the right lifestyle to stay healthy!