Have you ever stopped to consider that your body—this vessel you walk in every single day—is a sacred gift from God? From the very beginning, Scripture tells us, “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 That means your body isn’t just a random being; the Creator Himself intentionally crafted it. Yet, how often do we truly treat it as the gift it is? Our bodies are not just ours to use and abuse—they belong to God and are a reflection of Him, and He calls us to honor Him by caring for caring for our bodies.
What Does the Bible Say about Physical Health?
When we keep our bodies healthy, we are able to do the work God has called us to do and glorify Him. When we are sick and tired and run down by incorrectly fueling our bodies, overeating or undereating, not exercising, not getting sunshine, not sleeping, and not managing our stresses, we are then not properly equipped to hear the Holy Spirit or to act on the fulfilling of God’s calling for our life. It is much more difficult to grow in our relationship with Jesus or mature our spiritual gifts because we simply don’t feel well and don’t have the energy. As Jesus was preparing to endure the cross and lay down his life for us, he shared with the apostles his plan for us to have the Holy Spirit reside in us. John 14:16-17
“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
Friend, we are created in the image of God and redeemed, bought by the blood of Jesus. (1 Corinthians 6:20) Our bodies are not our own. They are a precious gift from God. Our bodies are exalted (held in high regard) and called a temple (a building for worship) on purpose. In the Bible, the temple is a holy place where God resides, and that is in us. Would you expect to walk into a holy place and find it filthy, cluttered, filled with trash and dirt and graffiti all over the place? Never!
Taking care of our bodies honors God and shows Him that we value our life. It shows gratitude for this incredible gift and for the opportunities He gives us to experience all of the wonders that He created: walking, hiking, exploring mountains, beaches, and valleys. And to fulfill His calling on our life and glorify Him.
No matter where you are in your journey of taking care of your body, it’s important to know that God created our bodies to heal. If you’re in a place where you haven’t been loving and taking care of your temple, please know you can make the choice right now. You can pray and ask for help and direction. Exodus 15:26 says, “I am the Lord who heals you.” Now is the time to begin honoring God and praising Him for this beautiful gift. Now is the time to start taking care of your temple and cleaning it up to glorify God. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1
What Does the Bible Say about Self-control and Self-discipline?
Self-control– is one of the fruits of the spirit. Galatians 5:22–24 We are expected to have self-control and self-discipline, including not overeating and eating the foods God gave us. Exercising and maintaining our weight help keep our muscles, bones, organs and brain strong. We are expected to maintain control of ourselves. Mind, body and spirit. Here are some specific scriptures on self-control and self-discipline.
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.” Hebrews 12:11-12
"The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers" 1 Peter 4:7
“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat.” Proverbs 23:20
(In the bible, the word meat is food.)
7 Practical Steps to Care for Your Physical Body
1. Nourish your body.
First, we should take care of our bodies by nourishing them with God-given foods and clean water. Choose the least processed and truest God-given form possible. This is organic. Organic is not genetically modified by man, not grown in a lab, and not grown with harmful chemicals and additives, and animal meats and products by animals that are free range and wild. The foods God created for us will provide nutrients for health and energy. God gives us specific instructions on what to eat. He says, “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” And “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” Genesis 9:3/Genesis 1:29
God gave us animals, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, herbs, and spices to be our food and our medicine. These foods give life. He gave us what we need to be healthy and strong. The world and man have altered our foods and created chemically processed and chemically grown junk that is not life-giving. These man-made pseudo foods are actually poison to our bodies that make us sick and obese, cause disease, and should not be consumed. “Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.” Romans 14:20 Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we have a responsibility to care for them and a responsibility to honor and praise God with how we fuel them. (Psalm 139:14)
One of the most important things to remember is to always read labels, and if you don’t know what an ingredient is or can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.
2. Keep your temple suitable for the holy spirit.
Avoiding harmful substances, minimal or no alcohol, and no drugs. The Bible is very specific on this matter.
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” - Ephesians 5:18
When we drink alcohol to drunkenness or use drugs, we are unable to hear the Holy Spirit. We are told not to drink to this point. This reduces and eliminates our self-control and opens us up for the enemy to attack.
3. Get active – Cherishing our bodies through movement and exercise strengthens our bodies and allows us physically to do the things God is calling us to do. Plus, we get to live a longer and healthier life. I love to hike and mountain bike. Because my body is strong, I get to see and enjoy so many of God’s creations because my legs and core can carry me there. This allows us the opportunity to praise God and worship Him as He desires for us.
God has no intention for your body to be idle and not used. “if you can have discipline to train your body well, you will be better equipped to train well and discipline, self-control in godliness” - 1 Timothy 4:8
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” - 1 Corinthians 9:24
What an incredible prize it is to show gratitude to our Father in heaven by keeping our bodies strong and healthy.
4. Go outside and soak up some sunshine.
“Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.” - Ecclesiastes 11:7
There are many benefits to healthy exposure to the sun. It is through the sun on our skin and through our eyes that our bodies produce Vitamin D, which is essential to our health and well-being. The sun also improves our mood, reduces stress lowers blood pressure, boosts our immune system, and gives us better sleep.
“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” - Psalm 96:11-12
5. Rest and sleep.
Taking care of our bodies extends beyond food and physical activity. God made rest an example of priority during His creation of the earth by implementing an entire rest day. So, it is equally important that we also take time to rest. And not only rest from work and activity, but it is also extremely important to take time to rest in Jesus. We can take time to rest by making reading the Bible spending time in prayer, and developing a deeper relationship with God and Jesus a daily priority:
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28–30
Sleep is extremely important for our bodies to heal. Our body was designed to heal while we sleep, so make it a priority and get 8 hours every night.
6. Prayer, meditation, and stress management.
Each of us is created differently and must discover how to reduce our stresses. I enjoy reading in a bath. But we all will reduce stress by spending time daily reading the bible, praying, and meditating. Exercise is also a great stress reducer. Make time to take a walk or hit the gym.
"Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." - Psalm 55:22
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” - Philippians 4:6
7. Guard yourself from negative influence.
We must guard our hearts and minds from negative influences. We are the sum of what we see, hear, and consume. The people we are surrounded by, the music, TV, movies, podcasts, etc., that we watch and listen to all influence us and who we are and what we choose. We can easily pick up bad habits from the influences we expose ourselves to. You get to choose! Choose to feed yourself with positive and godly influence.
Taking care of our bodies may seem like it’s hard and time consuming, but I urge you to take steps toward the goal of honoring your temple and thanking God for this incredible blessing. God knows that it takes sacrifice, moving away from the ways of the world, and He knows that the ways of the world are much easier and more enjoyable, but He’s asking us to purify our body so that the Holy Spirit can dwell in us and we can hear Him. (Hebrews 12:11) He’s asking us to honor the gift He has given us.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will." - Romans 12:1-2
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Venti Views
