Healthy and Holy

“You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” - 1 Corinthians 6:20b

Glorify: To praise, extol, magnify, and celebrate; To render something excellent; To make renowned; To cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged.

Your body was created for one purpose – to glorify its Creator. Wherever you take it, however you treat it, whatever you put in it and whatever you do with it, should always be to glorify God. As Christians, how we live our lives should praise, magnify, and celebrate the greatness of our God. How we choose to live should cause others to recognize the dignity and worth of God Almighty.  

God’s own Son modeled this for us in His earthly life. In John 17:4 Jesus prayed, “I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do.” Jesus went on to say that He manifested God’s name to the people God brought to Him out of the world (verse 6). Everything Christ did was to glorify God…to make Him known. In all four gospels, it is written that Jesus retreated away to rest, or to fast, or to pray. He shared meals with friends and He took time away from the crowds to refuel. Jesus rose early to spend time with His Father. Jesus knew that in order to accomplish His God-given purpose He had to take care of the body He was living in until the appointed time of His ultimate sacrifice of that body for our sins.

If it is true that our bodies were created to glorify God, then there must be implications concerning how we care for our bodies. Ask yourself this question: How would my physical habits change if I began to see my body as a temple that belongs to God? Healthy living is a wise spiritual choice. Physical health is important – not just in order to live longer – but also so that we can give God our very best. 

Father, Please show me the areas where I am neglecting my physical health. I want to glorify You in my body…to be healthy so that I can give You my very best. In Jesus’ name, amen.