The Lord for Your Body – Two2Grow, May 12
The Lord for Your Body – Two2Grow, May 12
“The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” 1 Corinthians 6:13 NIV
We are used to hearing that God loves us, but have you ever stopped to reflect on which parts of you God really loves?
I have found that many Christians think that God loves their soul and spirit—their inner being—but have not really thought about whether God loves their bodies or not. This is where we need to let Scripture shape our understanding: God is for your body! In other words, God loves you—all of you. God loves your body as much as He loves your soul and spirit. Your body matters to God because He created it, redeemed it, and desires to glorify Himself through it.
What difference does it make? It makes a world of difference because when you embrace the truth that God is for your body, it will affect your choices and actions.
At one point I was doing all the right things when it came to my spiritual walk with God: I read the Bible, I prayed, I went to church, I tithed, and so on, yet I sensed that I was missing something in my walk with God. All that changed when I realized that taking care of my body is an act of worship too. So being good stewards through our food choices, getting proper exercise, and getting enough rest become ways we honor God. I know that it can be hard, but the Holy Spirit is there to help and empower us.
When I talk about the need to take care of our bodies, I believe we must be careful so that worldly body images do not creep into our churches and we end up with body shaming. We must also resist the temptation to make our church stages catwalks, where beauty, sex appeal, youth, and physical perfection are exalted. Rather, taking care of our bodies is about being good stewards, honoring God, and being able to run the race of faith.
Father, thank You for the gift of my body. Holy Spirit, show me areas where I need to do better in taking care of myself and give me the power to do it.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD
We are used to hearing that God loves us, but have you ever stopped to reflect on which parts of you God really loves?
I have found that many Christians think that God loves their soul and spirit—their inner being—but have not really thought about whether God loves their bodies or not. This is where we need to let Scripture shape our understanding: God is for your body! In other words, God loves you—all of you. God loves your body as much as He loves your soul and spirit. Your body matters to God because He created it, redeemed it, and desires to glorify Himself through it.
What difference does it make? It makes a world of difference because when you embrace the truth that God is for your body, it will affect your choices and actions.
At one point I was doing all the right things when it came to my spiritual walk with God: I read the Bible, I prayed, I went to church, I tithed, and so on, yet I sensed that I was missing something in my walk with God. All that changed when I realized that taking care of my body is an act of worship too. So being good stewards through our food choices, getting proper exercise, and getting enough rest become ways we honor God. I know that it can be hard, but the Holy Spirit is there to help and empower us.
When I talk about the need to take care of our bodies, I believe we must be careful so that worldly body images do not creep into our churches and we end up with body shaming. We must also resist the temptation to make our church stages catwalks, where beauty, sex appeal, youth, and physical perfection are exalted. Rather, taking care of our bodies is about being good stewards, honoring God, and being able to run the race of faith.
Father, thank You for the gift of my body. Holy Spirit, show me areas where I need to do better in taking care of myself and give me the power to do it.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD