Physical discipline
“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
Quite a few of you girls have asked my opinion on how to balance the spiritual and physical disciplines of the virtuous woman. Now that is a good question to ask because so many of us tip the balance one way or the other. Actually, that is not that accurate of a statement because a truly spiritual life will be balanced in every way!
But speaking on a very basic level here, I think what some of you are asking is how much a Christian woman should concern herself with physical fitness. We know we are to be spiritually fit and make time for the reading, study, and application of God’s Word. But do we know that it is important to God that we take good care of ourselves physically too?
We are to be wise “stewards” of all the gifts God gives us, and one of the greatest gifts He has given us is the way our bodies function when we take care of them.
We are not disembodied spirits, nor will we ever be, for that matter. And as long as we are here on this earth, we live in this mortal body—it is the home for our soul. We depend on it to take us where we need to go. As we plan on fulfilling our daily tasks with energy, concentration, and focus, how then can we neglect this temple without having to deal with its subsequent breakdown?
We must take good care of our bodies, and for this we need healthful food, reasonable amounts of exercise, and adequate rest.
Let me ask you a couple questions. Are you eating a healthy diet, not too much and too little? Is your weight within a normal range for your height? Are you exercising as you should?
As we get older, most of us lead lives that are sedentary, and we have to make some time every day, or at very least a couple times a week to use the muscles and cardiovascular system God has given us.
And what about getting enough rest? Rest and sleep are essential for our minds to be alert and able to concentrate.
The food we use to fuel our bodies will not only affect our energy level, but it can even affect our outlook on a situation. In 1 Kings 19, we read the practical counsel given to the great prophet Elijah. After his confrontation with the prophets of Baal, he was exhausted and drained. And when he heard how his life was threatened, he cried out to the Lord and then he lay down and slept.
Suddenly, an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was some food baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.
And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food 40 days and 40 nights, going as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.
I’m not advocating going 40 days and 40 nights without food, but I want you to notice that an angel encouraged him, and that after taking time to sleep and eat, he was able to continue in serving the Lord.
It is not un-spiritual to give serious thought about these things and evaluate whether or not we are being wise about our lifestyle. If, by taking care of our physical bodies, we gain 10 more years of useful service to the Lord, isn’t that one way we can glorify and please Him?
All of these disciplines, if neglected will take their toll on our bodies and consequently their ability to fulfill our callings. Take care of your body. After all, it is nothing less than the temple of the Holy Spirit!
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