GRACE ANCHORED JOURNEY

Have you ever felt so tired, just wanting to rest but you could not because of the load that you have? Work. Church ministries. Family matters. Personal concerns. These are all the load that we carry on a daily basis. Sometimes, it is just overwhelming. Thus, we often neglect to rest. But these days I have come to realize how we should be really taking care of our body. Not solely so we could be healthy. That is one thing though. More than that, we need to take care of our body for the Lord. In Romans 12 the Bible tells us how we ought to present our body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God because that is our reasonable service (v1). At first, I thought that pertains to avoiding fornication and other deliberate sins involving the body only. Yet, our Scripture tells us to take care of our body for His glory.

When I learned that my health condition is gradually going down the slope, I pondered why. Then I realized how I abused my strength doing all the things I could at the same time. Nowadays, without any choice, my body badly needs so much rest. An unfamiliar word for someone who is very active and mobile like me. I used to do things even up until wee hours. I would just eat in fast food restaurant. I did not get enough rest (sleep in that sense) nor exercise as I should have. I always had something on my plate. But now I learned that there should be a balance in everything. It could not always be on the extreme sides.

How can we present our body as a living sacrifice to God if we do not take care of it? It is not intended to overly be conscious about it. I only mean to properly care for it as how God wants us to do.

Proper Rest and Sleep

In Elijah’s story, we see how God initiated rest for him after being exhausted from his long journey. He did nothing but sleep and eat. Then, from time to time, the angel of God woke him up and fed him (1 Kings 19:1-8). Good rest and proper sleep let our body revitalize and regain the energy that we need.

Science tells us how our body needs a longer period of time to recuperate and repair the damage that has been done inside our body. But even before, God already knows that sleep will help us regain our strength. He even reminds us that it is vanity to rise up early and to sit up late but He gives us (His beloved) rest (Psalm 127:2).

“Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.”

Eat The Right Kind of Food

We learned in the story of Daniel how he put importance to food to nourish his body.

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat,nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” Daniel 1:8.

When I searched of the food that Daniel (and his friends) wanted, they were vegetables and refused to eat meat and drink wine. In the end, they were better nourished. My health requires me to eat vegetables and other healthier food so my body can recuperate. I thank the Lord because I felt better. No fast food, no junk foods, little to no processed sugar, and small portion of fish only.  And I realized, I have more energy to serve God.

Exercise

In addition to the above, we can also include exercise. Though, I could not find exact example and verses in the Bible, I believe that it is a good way to maintain our health. Simple walking or stretching will make a difference to stay healthy.

Now that my health is not as good as before nor my body as strong as before, I have restrictions in doing things. There are times that I want to do more for the Lord but then again, I need to consider my health.

Since the time I heard the news about my heath, I have been doing research about diet and food. And, I have learned that the our lifestyle and diet contribute a lot not only to our physical wellness but even mental, physiological, and spiritual aspects. When we live healthy, our overall being will also become healthy. Thus, it enables us to function at our best. When we desire to serve God, we would desire to be healthy for Him. There are so much work needed to be done in His Kingdom. Nonetheless, in whatever state we are in, I hope that we have that passion to give our best for Him.

Taking care of our body is scriptural. We serve God. We serve in different ministries where God allows us to be. We need our strength to move. We need our health to be able to accomplish the things that God is asking us to do. May we learn not to abuse it for His glory.

When does it become wrong? If we become overly worried about our health and we get too much conscious of what to eat – prompting us to be occupied by it, then it becomes unhealthy. Nevertheless, we must take care our body for God’s glory.

Are you taking care of your body for Him?

Scientific facts about sleep: (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-deprivation-and-deficiency)