Everything you have is a gift from God.
Most of us are accustomed to looking at our money, our talents, and our time as a gift. However, stewardship is so much more. God wants us to manage every aspect of our lives in a way that will maximize our influence.
That includes how we take care of our bodies. Honestly, I didn’t pay attention to my health for years. But I had an epiphany a few years ago: I realized my health could limit my ministry, and I needed the energy to do what God was calling me to do.
God had given me a vision for the PEACE Plan, to mobilize my church and churches around the world to lean on God’s power to tackle some of the biggest global challenges. At Saddleback, we were making plans to engage churches worldwide to plant churches that promote reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
It was a tall order!
To fulfill what God had called me to do, I was going to need more energy and had to make the most of the life and health I’d been given. God has big plans for your ministry, too. You’ll need every bit of energy, every ounce of your life, to complete what God has laid before you.
The Bible tells us, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV).
How do you honor God with your body?
You get in shape!
If you’re like me, you’ve tried to get in shape before but failed. Maybe you give it a shot every January 1, but by January 5, you’re ready to give up.
But you can do it! In fact, I believe if you embrace these three principles, you can do this time what you haven’t been able to do in the past.
1. You need to lean on God’s power.
Guess what? Willpower isn’t enough. It’s a fantastic short-term plan to help you get in shape, but it won’t last long. Anytime you’re depending on willpower, you’re forcing yourself to do something that your natural brain does not want to do. It takes too much energy to push through a diet on willpower alone. But God’s power won’t run out. The Bible says, “I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 GW). I’m guessing you teach and preach this truth all the time. Apply it to taking care of your body, too.
2. Let the Kingdom of God be your motivation.
Your goal to get healthy can’t just be about you. It’s not wrong to want to look good, feel good, or live longer. But you need to realize, pastor, that there’s a far more significant reason to get healthy. The truth is, there’s a spiritual significance to getting healthy. You have a unique part to play in what God is doing around the world. It’s one thing to get healthy so you can fit into a new pair of pants. But to get healthy so you have more energy to make much of Jesus—that will keep you going when every fiber of your being wants to quit.
3. You need to involve others in your journey to get healthy.
Here’s where many pastors miss out. Statistics have long shown that most pastors have few, if any, close friends. You, just like every person in your congregation, were made for community. You need people in your life to help you get healthy. Maybe it’s fellow pastors, maybe it’s a small group, maybe it’s a trainer, but you need someone to cheer you on through the tough journey to get healthy. You wouldn’t tell people to overcome an addiction, build their character, or learn to share their faith without the support of a church family. The same is true for you and your journey to get healthy. You need other people.
God created your body as a tool to help you fulfill his purpose for your life. To be a good steward of that gift, you must take care of it!
Thank you for sharing, I’ve been so blessed by this.
so amazing, I am blessed.. thank you pastor.. more grace
Made me think of a message Heather Palacios brought to our church. She spoke of Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, son of Abraham. How she had to have been in good shape to have been able to pack up and walk out and into the desert with her son when she was told to leave Abraham’s house hold. She explained how our “core” should be healthy because it’s what sustains us, and gives us endurance. We need to be ready when God tells us to go.
If the heart and the mind can be seen not just as physical organs of the body, but also very much connected to the inner spiritual realities there are, and also that the believer needs to descend into this level of truth to experience the living Words of Christ Jesus, then the physical health, and wellbeing of the believer should always be high on his agenda, no matter what. In other words, the more you work on your physical health, as a believer, the more you remind yourself to be committed to your spiritual wellbeing, living right, and getting closer and closer to GOD, day by day. Cheers Pastor. GOD BLESS.
Actually all of us need God’s power, to be motivated for kingdom of God and the support of other people.
Yes, we need all this to do what’s right and then being healthy.
I thank you pastor.
Thanks for the encouragement and support
Hey Pastor Rick, Thanks for the encouraging words reminding us that we are God’s temple and have a responsibility to care for our bodies by strengthening them for His service. A timely reminder for me-blessings.
Thanks for this brilliant advice