Skip to main content

“Your body wasn’t created for your own gratification; it was created for God’s glory.”

A thought by Nelson Searcy from his book, The New You: A Guide to Better Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Wellness (p. 25). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

This is such a life-changing principle to understand and to live by.

Nelson says, “Here is a game-changing truth for you to consider: your body wasn’t created for your own gratification; it was created for God’s glory. But if you are like most people, you treat your body as if it is yours to do with as you please. You are quick to gratify your own tastes, preferences, and whims. But the reality is that your body was made both by God and for God.”

Nelson goes on, “First Corinthians 6:13 says, ‘[Our bodies] were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies.’ You probably intuitively understand that God made your body, but maybe you have never thought of it as being made for him. If your body was made for the Lord, and he cares about your body, doesn’t that mean you should care about your body too?

“This is an area where most people—Christians in particular—need to flip the lens. Too often, we use God as the ultimate excuse for letting our health slide. We run our bodies down, fill them with disease-causing foods, let them atrophy from lack of movement, and then call it God’s will when we get sick. We fill our minds with toxic thoughts, neglect healthy relationships with other people, fail to engage with God regularly, and then blame him when we wind up lonely and anxious.

“The truth is that pursuing excellence in every area of our health is a way to honor God. His sovereignty is not an excuse to live any old way we want to live because he is going to work it out in the end; instead, he is the beacon calling us to live in a way that shines his brilliance to others. Keeping ourselves in good health is really an act of stewardship.”

Earlier Nelson said, “When you have all areas of your health under control, you are free to live life to the fullest. To get started, choose to embrace the following key commitments that are foundational to becoming the new you:          
-       surrender your health to God
-       stop making excuses
-       start taking small steps toward change.

“These commitments form the basis of your ability to build a life marked by complete health and wholeness.”

So, would you strive with me to better understand how to live life to the fullest?

Yes, yes!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives.”

A thought by Jon Tyson from his book, The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success (p. 118). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) But is that all that is important? Jon says, “We want to realize an immediate return from whatever we invest in. I am prone to this way of thinking in so many areas of my life. ‘I paid a lot for that meal, yet the portions were not that big.’ ‘I invested two hours in that movie, and it was just okay.’   ‘I went to church, but the sermon wasn’t that profound.’ We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives. But beauty doesn’t fit within that framework. When Mary anointed Jesus with oil, there was an immediate outcry against her extravagant generosity. ‘It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.’ (Mark 14:5) One gospel depicts the disciples crying, ‘Why this waste?...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book,   Winning the War on Worry    (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...
Post a Comment
Read more

“Hurry and love are incompatible.”

A thought by John Mark Comer from his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (p. 23). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Wow, pretty strong thought isn’t it? John says, “All my worst moments as a father, a husband, and a pastor, even as a human being, are when I’m in a hurry—late for an appointment, behind on my unrealistic to-do list, trying to cram too much into my day. I ooze anger, tension, a critical nagging—the antitheses of love. If you don’t believe me, next time you’re trying to get your type B wife and three young, easily distracted children out of the house and you’re running late (a subject on which I have a wealth of experience), just pay attention to how you relate to them. Does it look and feel like love? Or is it far more in the vein of agitation, anger, a biting comment, a rough glare? Hurry and love are oil and water: they simply do not mix.” He goes on, “Hence, in the apostle P...
Post a Comment
Read more