Welcome to Freely Speaking, an OHSOFREE devotional ministry where we share our hearts and trust God for transformation.
Today, Susan Hales shares her favorite scriptures from the perspective of the body.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30 NIV).
"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 NIV).
I struggled with yo-yo dieting and body image issues for many years. Eat less, exercise more. That’s all you must do to lose weight and be healthy, right?
I felt like a failure.
But God sent me a wake-up call from my diet-culture mentality. Wellness is not about weight loss to look good and call attention to myself. I realized God wants me to practice healthy habits to honor my body as His temple.
One of my favorite scriptures is Romans 12:1 (NIV). Paul wrote, “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.”
A Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The word ‘bodies’ represents all aspects of a person's life and actions, with the physical body as the means for expression.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites repeatedly sacrificed animals to God according to the laws of the old covenant, or agreement, with God.
Because of sin, we do not deserve God’s mercy and grace. But God established a new covenant by sending His Son to earth to die to pay the price for our sins.
Since Jesus was the final sacrifice for us, God asks us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices—to dedicate our entire lives, including our bodies, to Him.
A believer’s offering of his total life as a sacrifice to God is sacred worship.
Do you struggle to keep on track with exercise and healthy habits? Or are you procrastinating getting started? Consider wellness as worship.
God created us with unique gifts and abilities to glorify and honor Him. Our goal is to stay healthy so we have the strength to love and serve God and others for as long as possible.
Wellness is a journey, not a destination. Today, consider your next step towards wellness as worship.
Thank you for joining us today. If you would like to learn more about OhSoFree Ministries, please visit us at www.ohsofreeministries.com/