Most of us fight an ongoing battle in our minds about our body image. We wish our bodies would look a certain way; we’d like to maintain a certain weight, and none of us like ourselves when we are controlled by our cravings. In order to win this war with our health, we need to set our minds on our royal call, not our cravings. Our diets need to be about our desire to honor our King, not about denying ourselves certain foods.Queen Esther is an excellent example for us to follow. Her God-ordained position as queen was not to glorify herself. She did not even have a desire to be queen, but instead her desire was to honor her God and He raised her up to save her people. She didn’t need to be the prettiest in the land to win the heart of a King or to save a nation, she just surrendered all of herself to her King--heart, mind, soul and body. Imagine if we, God’s children, realized that everything we put into our bodies either builds up or tears down the temple of the living God. How differently would we choose what we let in?
Below are the best diet secrets ever because they are given to us by our Father in heaven according to His word:
To Honor God
“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
Most of us are likely to miss out on the power of the biblical word picture found in the above verse. Today, temples are often viewed as merely tourist attractions or a majestic something of the past; but to God's chosen people, the temple was the lifeblood of the civilization, the house of the Lord. It held the source of power, direction, and protection. It was the most beautifully designed, painstakingly immaculate, awe-inspiring fixture in the entire culture. It was functional, holy, and artistic all in one. Why would God use this spectacular man-made creation as a symbol for our earthly body? Because both are His chosen place of dwelling and both were designed by the Lord, Himself. Let us do this to honor the One who gave His very life for us. Let’s spend the next thirty days treasuring His Temple…Our bodies!
To Experience Good Health
“Beloved, I wish above all things that your soul would Prosper and that you would experience good health.” (3 John 2)
Our God, Our Daddy, in Heaven tells us in His word that above all things He wants our soul to prosper and for “His Children” to experience good health. He loves us so much that He addresses us as beloved.
Dream with me for a moment: What if all Christians took care of our bodies for the right reasons, the right way—through proper nutrition, exercise, and rest—the results would be amazing:
* Imagine our Pastors, Evangelists, and Missionaries having the health and energy to finish their ministries strong. Studies show that only one out of ten pastors will still be in the ministry by the time they reach sixty years of age—physical and emotional burn-out being the major cause.
* Think about how much money would be saved on medical bills and health insurance and how much we would enjoy our Golden years in life if we invest in our health now.
* Can you envision what God’s people could accomplish here on earth if the body of Christ had more energy and clearer minds? We would have more involvement in all church ministries and our outreach programs and Prayer teams. Even more, we could remember the sermons each Sunday if we started our morning with a nutritious meal and a good rest the night before!
When you think about it, Christians should be the healthiest, happiest people on earth! After all, we know where we're going, we have life's instruction manual (the Bible), and we serve a God who has shown us, through His Word, how to take care of His temple—our bodies. But only if we take the necessary steps to be healthy will we be able to enjoy the abundance God promises.
Our bodies are the physical vessel that God uses while we're here on earth; we need to take care of it in honor of Him. Jesus Himself borrowed an earthly body while He was here on earth, and He wants to use you to accomplish even greater things!
Lord,
I am ready to receive from you the gift of good health. I want my soul to prosper and I want to walk in victory over sickness and exhaustion. I commit the next 30 days to rebuilding my body for your glory, not mine. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen
Living a way that is outwardly simple and inwardly rich! Simplicity...
