What does it mean to treat your body like a temple? How do you treat your body like a temple?
You may laugh at these words – treat your body like a temple – because you certainly don’t see yourself or your body as a temple.
When I think of a temple my imagination takes me to a respected historical building, a holy place of worship, where I see Jesus at the age of 12 teaching everyone who gathered around to listen to a wise young man speak words of wisdom.
Google says, a temple is a building devoted to worship, or regarded as the dwelling place, of a god or other objects of religious reverence.
We always need to turn to the Word of God, and this will give us our roadmap for life. 1 Corinthians 6:19 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 (NIV)
We read that we need to honor God with our bodies, and our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. This is a commandment, which should tell us that this is an important act to implement into our lifestyle. We received the Holy Spirit from God and were bought with a price, so it’s time we understand that this is an important sign to obey on our roadmap of life.
Our Roadmap To Life
When we have a place we want to go to, a destination, then we must know how to get there or we wouldn’t reach our destination. There are also many different kinds of signs along the way. Some signs will help to point us in the right direction, some will help to prevent us from hitting obstacles, and others will help to protect us and keep us safe, but they are all there for our benefit. Signs are designed for our good and not to harm us.
Let’s look at our life as a roadmap and take a look at 7 signs that will help you honor and treat your body like a temple. I often say – Treat your body like a temple, not a trash can!
Sign #1: Fuel Station Ahead.
Learn to view food as fuel for your body. There are many foods that are healthy and just as many that are unhealthy. It’s time to become aware of what foods we are putting into our bodies/temples. All the processed junk food at our fingertips is what I call trash and this processed junk is not beneficial to our bodies. Rather, it actually harms our bodies and does not give us the right fuel to make our vehicle run well. Continually putting harmful ingredients into our bodies will start to have an impact on our health – our vehicle will break down. Check the list of ingredients in the products before purchasing them and if it is filled with nasty chemicals, preservatives, and lots of sugar, then it probably isn’t serving your temple very well.
Sign #2: Manage Your Portion Sizes.
It’s very important to give your body the right amount of fuel so that you have the energy you need to do the things you want to do. You don’t want to over fuel your vehicle, because then it all spills out. When we over fuel our body we gain unwanted weight and we don’t feel well. When we under fuel our bodies we go into starvation mode and then we don’t feel well either. We need just the right amount of fuel so that our bodies feel satisfied.
Sign #3. Reduce Your Sugar Intake.
We know that sugar is very harmful to our bodies from all the studies that have been done. Research shows that it is as addictive as cocaine and heroin, and very harmful to our bodies, so it’s time we recognize the need for a reduction of this harmful product. The American Heart Association says that we should only consume about 25 grams of sugar per day (and it’s better when it comes from healthy foods like fruit), but the average person is consuming around 120 grams of sugar per day. It’s time to reduce our sugar intake.
Sign #4: Stay Off The Processed Food Lane.
The more you can eat foods in their natural state or normal state the better they are for your body. The closer to raw, the more nutrients you will be feeding your temple. God’s healing foods are those that are harvested and pure and clean. The more that foods are altered, the less nutrition they will provide your vehicle. Let’s get back to basics and start cooking from scratch. When we walk around the perimeter of the grocery store, this is where you will find the most nutrient-dense foods, rather than all the boxed and packed foods that are in the center isles.
Sign #5: Water Break Ahead.
Our bodies/temples are made up of approximately 60% of water. It’s amazing how we can get dehydrated so quickly and we don’t even realize it. Every part of our body needs replenishing of water, and this does not include coffee, tea, juice or soda. When we are low on water we easily get headaches, we think we are hungry but are really just thirsty, we become fatigued and have a huge decline in our overall health. Remember that water quenches our physical thirst just like the Word of God quenches our spiritual thirst.
Sign #6: Renew Your Mind.
It’s time to take a moment to check your thoughts. Where are they taking you? Are they going down the negative road or the positive lane? It’s so important when treating our bodies like a temple that we take our thoughts captive to dwell on things that are true, noble, pure and lovely. These thoughts lead to feelings, which leads to action… and action leads to results. How are you treating your temple?
Sign #7: Time to Move – It’s a Green Light!
Our bodies need to stay healthy and fit and in order for them to remain flexible, we must exercise our physical bodies. Our vehicles needs to move forward when the light is green. Our bodies become stagnant quickly and it’s easy to get out of the habit of exercise. But when a vehicle sits in a garage, the battery goes dead. This is the same with our bodies. When we don’t move them they get stiff and sore and our muscles start to wane. We need strength so that we can live our life to the fullest. In order to treat our body like a temple, we need to get out of the garage and onto the road of opportunity.
I trust that you will begin to use these signs as important steps for how to treat your body like a temple. Remember that God wants us to take care of our bodies, love ourselves and honor what he has given us.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
When we treat our body like a temple, we will reap the rewards because God promises that we reap what we sow. Let’s claim this promise today!
If you want more help in treating your body like a temple, I invite you to check out my 10-Day WeighDown Plan where I show you how to honor your body and treat your body like a temple, not a trash can.
Blessings,
Ruth Verbree