Honor God With Your Body

God gave us beautiful, functional bodies that are meant to do great things, but sometimes worldly pleasures interrupt the purposes our bodies were meant for. What does it mean to honor God with your body? And how can we work to honor God with our bodies?

What the Bible Says

"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)

What powerful language. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies aren't simply flesh, nor do they house the Holy Spirit. They are temples.

What makes temples different from houses? Temples are places of worship. They are holy places. If you walk into a temple, you don't run around making ruckus. You understand that each temple is a sacred space. A space where God is.

Our bodies are temples.

They are sacred. They are holy. God is in us.

And not only that. God is in us because we received Him as a gift. We aren't entitled to be a temple for the Holy Spirit. Jesus sacrificed His life for us. He paid a high price for each one of us so He could give us this gift.

Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Our bodies are temples for God, given to us by God. What better thanks can we give than to live our lives honoring God with our bodies?

What better praise? What better worship?

But how do you honor God with your body?

Our bodies are temples. To honor God, we should treat our bodies like temples. We should treat our bodies like sacred ground. Something you would never destroy, something you would never allow to become dirty, something you would work to maintain and keep pristine.

What does this mean, practically?

How we treat ourselves matters. We should eat to nourish ourselves with healthy foods. We should not eat too much or too little. We should take time each day to move our bodies. We should take care of our mental health. We should keep ourselves clean and pristine, getting ready each day like we would prepare a church for Sunday mass.

This requires self-awareness and self-education.

Do you know the difference between how healthy foods and unhealthy foods affect your body? Can you feel it when you ate something that wasn't nourishing?

Do you know how exercise affects your body? Can you take 15 minutes each day to move and keep your body in shape?

Do you practice meditation or writing techniques that help your mind? Do you take time for yourself each day?

Do you work toward self-improvement each day?

What if I don't do any of these? That's okay.

Pick one and start working to honor God with your body.  Educate yourself on healthy eating, exercise, or self-care. Start with 5 minutes a day of exercise. Or one meal with vegetables. Do something.

Treat your body like a gift. Because it is!