Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)
LEARN
As Christians, we are called to love, serve, and honor God. When thinking about the practicality of this, we often think about what our relationship with God looks like and how we are serving those around us.
An important topic that occasionally slips under the radar is how we love, serve, and honor God with our bodies. Our bodies are a blessing from God and it is important for us to take care of them. It is easier for us to serve others and honor God when our bodies are functioning properly. It is our responsibility to be good stewards of the body God has provided us with (apart from things beyond our control such as illness and accidents).
KNOW
Our intentions for anything we do, including taking care of our bodies, should be to glorify God. If our intentions for physically caring for ourselves is to look or feel good, we must take a step back and remember that our bodies are meant to be a temple for God.
About six months ago, I was diagnosed with certain food sensitivities: dairy, gluten, eggs, cocoa, tarragon, brewers yeast, and bakers yeast. Luckily, my sensitivity is not enough to send me into anaphylactic shock, but it is enough to give me hives and rashes all over my arms and legs. When I first found this out, I did not take it very seriously. I thought to myself “I’ve been eating these foods my whole life, it can’t be that bad.”
For a few months, I continued eating everything I wasn’t supposed to and my body was paying for it. By doing this, I was telling God that my own satisfaction through eating whatever I wanted was more important than the temple (i.e., my body) he has provided for me. I was stubborn and didn’t want to be inconvenienced. It took some time, but I finally realized that, by eating whatever I wanted, I was not honoring God. Once I changed my mindset and my focus was to honor God through everything I do, it got easier to stay away from those foods. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a daily struggle to avoid all of these things (especially cocoa - no chocolate!) but I find peace knowing that I am now feeding my body foods that provide nourishment and that I am able to honor God through this.
DO
Be in the Right Mindset
Take a moment and meditate on why you are taking care of your body. Are you trying to live a healthier life in pursuit of honoring God? First and foremost, we should be honoring God with our bodies and everything we do with them. As 1 Corinthians 10:31 says “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Keep this verse in mind during the day as you are pursuing a healthier lifestyle.
Nourish NOT Punish
In today’s culture, it is easy to become obsessed with health and fitness. It is easy to over-work your body and restrict your calories when your mind is in the wrong space Be mindful about what you are putting in your body. Many people think that eating a certain amount of calories or meals a day can lead to a healthy lifestyle. I want to challenge you to take a look at what you are actually putting into your body. Answer this: would you put diesel gas in a car that runs on regular gas? The answer would (hopefully) be no. Just because it is gas does not mean that is good for the car. In fact, putting diesel gas into a car that does not need it is harmful to the engine. This is the same for your body. Putting “food” into your body (or restricting food) is not enough to be healthy. We need to be fueling ourselves with foods that are nutritious. Eat when you are hungry but be mindful about what you are choosing to eat.
Listen to Your Body
God created our bodies to send us signals all the time. It tells us when we are hungry, tired, sick, and so on. One thing that we do not often pay attention to is our bodies response to food. Take a second to think about this. Some common symptoms of food intolerances/allergies include: bloating, fatigue, rashes (eczema), and upset stomach. Do you notice any of these symptoms after you eat? If you are not sure if you react to anything, keeping a food journal can be helpful. Jot down what you eat and how your body feels throughout the day. If you notice that you get an upset stomach every time you eat dairy, it may be time to reconsider the amount of dairy in your diet.
Be Weary of Toxins
Unfortunately, there are so many toxins in our food and beauty products. Just because something is sold at a store does not mean it is safe for your body. Do your research and make easy, practical shifts in the type of food and products you buy. Read the ingredients list before you buy it! This goes for both food and household/beauty products. If you don’t recognize an ingredient, look it up or don’t buy it at all!
Move
Many jobs today involve sitting at a desk for 8 hours and getting up for the occasional snack or bathroom break. The lack of movement throughout the day can be so detrimental to our bodies! Moving gets our heart beating and blood flowing. This can be as simple as taking a walk around your neighborhood. Try to get in at least 30 minutes of simple movement a day.
