My body the temple?

"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, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body" -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I have been under the weather for a week and not been able to exercise. My boys and I had strep throat and Luke broke his finger. It has been a week full of resting and trying to get better. A year ago, not being able to exercise would not have bothered me in the least. But now, I honestly feel that something is missing. I can see the negative effects in my body and my mood when I don't exercise. This is great progress for me.

I have never really understood the concept of my body as a temple. For many years I filled my body with unhealthy foods. Sugar, caffeine, and alcohol were regular parts of my diet. I hate to even write this because it is embarrassing, but I am certain that I was addicted to fast food. I would drop my boys off at preschool and hit up the nearest McDonald's for an egg mac muffin and a Coke. And I used to do this nearly every day. And at least once a week I would order cheese sticks from Pizza Hut. They were so yummy to me. My husband used to joke that my idea of heaven would definitely include cheesy bread. I would drink one Coke every day. I would limit myself to one, thinking that I was doing myself a favor by "only" having one. I would always indulge in dessert if it was available and I usually kept something sweet in the pantry closet. Are you getting the picture now? If you are feeling sick just reading about this, imagine what my body was feeling like by consuming all of this!

I wouldn't mention my McDonald's or Pizza Hut trips to my husband, or anyone else, unless I thought that they too were a fellow fast food junkie. It was rather embarrassing and so I wanted to hide it. I would never eat inside the restaurant. I would always take the junk to my car and eat alone. It was kind of an escape from the regular activities of my every day life. I couldn't see it then, but I was using food as an escape and depending on the food high to get me through the day. Instead of depending on God, I was depending on food.

Eventually, my body began to realize the effects of these poor choices. I found out that my blood pressure was high, as well as my cholesterol and triglyceride levels. My thyroid was not working and many of my vitamin levels were low. I was overweight and tired all of the time. I knew there was a better way, but could I find the self-control to make healthy changes?

I asked God for help. I am sure that He had been trying to make me see for a long time that I was slowly killing myself (yes, bad food choices actually will end up killing you!) I knew I was hurting myself, but I didn't understand that I was also hurting God. I saw for the first time that I was sinning. The negative effects of the food in my body also had a negative effect on my soul. I was not my best and therefore could not be of great service to God. I was not honoring Him with my choices. Christ died for our sins, and we were bought at a high price. Each time I put something bad into my mouth, I was destroying the very body that Christ died to save. Food was controlling me, not God.

A wonderful example in Scripture of the food we should consume can be found in the Book of Daniel. Daniel had been taken captive by King Nebuchandnezzar to Babylon. The King wanted Daniel and the other Israelites to forget God and serve The King of Babylon. The King chose him, as well as some other Israelites, to be trained for the King's service. He was to learn the language and literature of the Babylonians and be trained for 3 years. During this training, he had access to the royal food and wine but Daniel had resolved not to eat this food (which was not good for him). He was determined to eat only what God wanted for him. Even under great pressure, Daniel remained faithful to God's desire for him, and would not conform to the culture of Babylon. So Daniel pleaded with the guard that he and his friends be allowed to follow God's directive for them. Instead of indulging in food, they would indulge in prayer.

"Please test your servants for 10 days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see...At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who at the royal food" -Daniel 2:12-15

Daniel did not compromise, he ate how God intended him to eat, and he was healthy and strong! Because Daniel lived his life as God taught him, he was able to be used by God to interpret dreams, face trials and relay visions from God Himself. God was using Daniel to show King Nebuchadnessar who the real King was. His life is a demonstration of many things, but a very important lesson that I took from Daniel is that making healthy food choices allows us to be of better service to God. When our physical bodies are strong, we position ourselves to have clear minds to hear from God and to be used by God.

So, does this mean that I drink nothing but water and eat only vegetables. I wish, but no. But I can say that I have made an effort to majorly clean up my diet and prioritize exercise. I limit processed foods. I see it as an indulegence, not a daily staple. I stopped drinking soda. I don't eat dessert after every meal. I try to get my full servings of fruits and vegetables each day. I have begun to see my body as God sees it, as a temple, and I am attempting to treat it as such. I am not perfect, but I don't let one or two bad choices knock me off the path. The result? Physically I have lost 30 pounds, my blood pressure is back to normal, as well as my cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Thank you God! But perhaps the best benefit of all is that while I feel physically stronger than ever, I also feel spiritually stronger! In this area of my life, I have tried my best to follow God's way, and I have been blessed for it. I have more energy to live my life, serve my family, and serve God! My body, the temple? Yes, God, I now see it!