Thursday’s Musings: Better Digs for the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:19-20  Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you? Don’t you know that you have the Holy Spirit from God, and you don’t belong to yourselves?  You have been bought and paid for, so honor God with your body.
Romans 12:1  So, brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service.

My friend Stephen posted a funny picture on Facebook with a serious message.  The caption was “You are what you eat.”  The character had a hamburger head and was eating a hamburger.  The point was that eating unhealthy food can lead to health problems while eating more nutritious foods can help prevent them. This week in the U.S. obesity was officially declared to be a disease.  A doctor also shared that half a million people die prematurely each year from the effects of smoking.  We may not think that our poor health habits are a spiritual issue, but scripture says otherwise. God wants healthy children just like we want healthy children.  We can better serve the Lord, those around us and the Kingdom in general when we are healthy.  When we damage our bodies with food, cigarettes, other drugs and / or alcohol we eventually will pay the price and provide the Holy Spirit a less than a holy and pleasing dwelling place.  Self indulgence and living sacrifice don’t seem to be compatible.

ADDENDUM: After I wrote this I heard of the death of actor James Gandolfini at the age of 51 from a massive heart attack.  People were remembering him and asking why? A medical expert said three questions could be asked: 1. Was there a family history of early heart attacks? 2. Was he overweight? 3. Was he a smoker.  While we don’t know about his family history, pictures of him on and off screen show him to be an overweight smoker.  He leaves behind a wife, 13 year old son and 8 month old daughter.  His bad health habits have contributed to a family tragedy and the loss of his own life.

Help us Lord, to think about what we do to our bodies. Lead us away from temptations that would harm our health that we may better serve you and those whom we love. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Take Care,
Paige