Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; (I Cor 6:19)
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? (I Cor 3:16)
You know many of us when we get settled into a relationship, whether marriage or dating one particular person over an extended period of time, we become very comfortable. In being comfortable, we sometimes lose ourselves in the relationship and neglect our needs to accommodate the needs of the other person. I know you know what I'm talking about.
I watched my weight and self esteem fluctuates throughout my marriage. When my weight was down, my self esteem was high, when it was up, it was low. Really, our self-esteem should not be based on what the scale says, but what God says about us. He says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't take care of ourselves as best we can. It means that God took time in making us in his image and after his likeness. How can we be anything but wonderful if the Lord used his pattern to make us? So, contrary to what the scale says, we are to be assured that we are his workmanship and that's makes extraordinary.
But it is so important to honor him in this temple that he has fashioned after himself. What are we doing to our temple when we put things in it that makes it unhealthy and causes it to be sick? You know we do this, then we ask God to heal us from the things we have introduced into our own bodies. We snack on Wendy's burgers because we can get them off of the $1 menu instead of going home and cooking something that will be healthier and better for us. Then we don't understand why we can't squeeze into that dress this week that we could wear a month ago. It's time to be really real my sisters. We need a reality check. I'm talking to myself too. We want people to accept us like we are and love us for us. But the truth is they will never get close enough to us to know how wonderful we are if they are turned off by how we look on the outside. That's just real talk. We need to be really serious about us, not for other people but because God wants us to take care of this vessel that he's made for his glory.
It is not enough to say that we want people to be accepting of us as is. That's great, but unfortunately, this is a hard pill to swallow for most when the first impression of how we feel about ourselves can be seen from the outside. Not taking care of our exterior is an indication that we don't really have a high opinion of ourselves to the person who is looking from the outside. This is a reality that we have to face as single women of God. When there are so many single sisters out there who are trying to be the best that they can be in God and in the natural. Can we really afford to be slack concerning our temples? I don't believe so.
Making positive changes in our lifestyles with proper food choices and exercise not only will benefit us naturally, but spiritually as well. It is equally difficult for someone who is out of shape and overweight to run a mile as it is for them to lay hands on hundreds of people or preach for an hour without being physically exhausted. There are great benefits for you and the kingdom when we take care of what God has entrusted to us. He's entrusted us with this temple for him to reside in and we have a responsibility to ensure that we properly nourish it and keep it fit.
I've made positive changes in my eating and exercise regime in the last month. I knew it was necessary to my overhealth and well being. I challenge you as I blog in future about my journey to join me in making changes in your lifestyle as well. It will only benefit you. This is not about nabbing that man you've been after, but it's about taking care of yourself, feeling good about yourself, and doing what is best for yourself. No more Wendy's, McDonald's, or Burger King. Opt for healthier things like lots of fruits and vegetables. Stay away from processed foods, white rice, sugar, white flour. Embrace high fiber foods and drink plenty of water. Please, don't drink your calories, that is a total waste when you could be eating something instead. Get up and get moving as well. Throw your sneakers on and walk, walk, walk or do some form of cardio 30-60 minutes 3-5 times a week. Do some weight training as well as this will help you get in shape quicker because it will help burn fat faster. If you do all of that, you will slim down, feel better about yourself, and look better as well.
That little black dress has been hanging on the rack too long. You keep looking at it, but you are no closer to getting back into it. Your blood pressure is up and you can't walk a flight of stairs without breathing heavily. So, do it for you because you deserve to feel better. Do it for you because you need to feel better. Do it for you because you cannot do what you need to do if you do not change the pattern of unhealthy behavior. The enemy hurts us with the things we do to ourselves. Don't let the devil keep you from being and doing what God has purposed because you can't muster up the strength to do it.
I encourage you to join me in the journey and look forward to hearing how each of you is doing.
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