A big part of living fully alive in 2023 is how we care for our physical bodies. Making wise choices with what we eat, how we move our bodies, and how we treat ourselves is a direct reflection of stewardship to God – since we are His temple. First Corinthians 3:16 reminds us, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” God has thoughtfully and beautifully created each of us in His image, and how we care for ourselves reveals our gratitude to Him.
There are three main areas to care for our physical bodies – fitness, nutrition and wellness.
Fitness: At the beginning of each new year, gym memberships go up, workout clothes fly off the racks and good intentions get people moving. Yet, it seems the plans to be physically fit falls away quickly. There are various levels of what it means to be physically fit, as well as many reasons why one should be physically fit. In its simplest form, one should be physically fit in order to be the best they can be. It helps us avoid unnecessary health problems, allowing us to use our strength to help ourselves and others. Choosing to exercise and disciplining ourselves to be consistent will strengthen us to live up to our potential.
Nutrition: The foods we put into our bodies has the ability to strengthen us, keep disease and illness away, help with energy levels, assists with mood stability and more. The daily choices we make of what to eat will either inhibit or empower what we can accomplish. God created foods that will enhance our lives. Much of what we see on the shelves in grocery stores are filled with manmade chemicals and unhealthy preservatives. It’s important to establish healthy eating patterns, choosing whole foods without preservatives and chemicals.
Wellness: Establishing healthy sleeping patterns, balancing work and play, alleviating stress, keeping harmful substances from entering our bodies and pledging to not let ourselves or others bring harm to our physical bodies will empower us to live fully alive.
Instead of just seeing physical goals as a New Year’s resolution, let’s begin to see caring for our physical wellbeing as a way of living. Stewarding the body that God gave us is our way of saying “thank you” for His thoughtful design for each of us as individuals. We have one life – let’s do our part to live it with excellence.
