Daily Light from the Lighthouse
"Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price;
therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Several years ago I was listening to a man that I highly respect preach a sermon. In that sermon he began to talk about how he exercises daily and how he eats as healthy as possible and in moderation. He went on to say that he purposely doesn't have any habits that are harmful to his body in the long term. I thought at first that he was just trying to make the rest of us feel guilty. However, he then shared that he had been diagnosed several years earlier with diabetes. It was a very severe case, and his doctor told him to either change his lifestyle or die at a very young age. As he shared his testimony, he told how he laid in bed one night and considered all the options. He began to think about his wife that lay sleeping next to him. He loved her with all of his heart and had vowed to be by her side as long as possible. He got up and went to the rooms of his children and tried to imagine what life would be like for them if he were no longer there. He spent the night thinking about the ministry that God had entrusted him with. Who would take up the cause if he were to die? That night he made a decision to completely give God his body. Everything from his diet, to exercise, to harmful habits were surrendered to the Lord. It has been almost twenty years since I heard this individual speak, and I know that today he is still alive and well while faithfully serving the Lord in the ministry.
I know that no one likes people meddling in their lives when it comes to their diet. I enjoy eating just as much as anyone else. I like the sweet stuff especially. However, I do believe that it is important to follow the principle of moderation in our daily diet. We cannot allow our cravings to destroy this body that God gave us with which to serve Him. It is important that we spend some time each week in regular exercise to keep our hearts and our bodies healthy. I could personally tell you of the differences that it has made in my life. Also, any habits that we have that are detrimental to our physical health need to be curbed and done away with. There are thousands of people that are physically suffering every day because of personal choices that they make. Consider the Scriptures. It is not your body to do with as you please. God gave you this body so that you might be able to serve Him with it. We need to consider our bodies to be an instrument of God's that He chooses to use for His glory. If it does not belong to us, we need to be aware of how important it is to take care of it for His sake. God desires to give you life and life abundant. Let's not make personal choices that would destroy that possibility. Do all that you can to be healthy so that you can glorify God for many years to come.
May you surrender your body to its owner today!
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