Today’s #Snippet

Scripture Anchor

“For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:”  Ephesians 5:29 KJV

Apostolic Insight

Your body is not an inconvenience attached to your spiritual life.

Sometimes Christians speak about the body almost as though being spiritual means paying as little attention to it as possible.

But Scripture is far more balanced. Paul uses something completely ordinary as an illustration: People who nourish and cherish their bodies feed them, protect them, and care for them.

That ordinary responsibility provides an important reminder that your body is the physical vessel through which you presently carry out your earthly assignment.

You pray in it, work in it, serve in it, travel in it, embrace people with it, think through a brain housed within it. And when it is exhausted, hungry, dehydrated, hurting, or unwell, the rest of life can be affected.

Caring responsibly for the body is not vanity, neither is neglect a mark of spirituality.

We do not worship our bodies, do not become obsessed with appearance, do not place our confidence in physical strength. But we should pay attention.

Sometimes the body whispers before it shouts: Persistent fatigue, pain that keeps returning, changes we keep dismissing, the appointment we keep postponing, medication we take carelessly, meals constantly skipped, movement continually avoided, or sleep repeatedly sacrificed.

There is no virtue in ignoring what requires responsible attention. Faith does not require pretending symptoms do not exist. Prayer and practical wisdom are not enemies.

We can trust God as our Healer while also using the knowledge, resources, professionals, and responsible practices available to us. 

Caring for the body requires stewardship. Listen to it, nourish it, move it, rest it, and seek appropriate help when something is wrong.

Remember:

Caring for your physical well-being can be one very ordinary way of honoring the life God has entrusted to you.

Ponder This:

Is my body trying to tell me something I have repeatedly ignored?

Declaration:

■ I will steward my body with wisdom and gratitude.

■ I reject neglect, obsession, fear, and condemnation.

■ I receive grace to make responsible choices concerning my physical well-being.

#PrayerOfAgreement

Father, thank You for the body through which I live and serve in this present world. I will from henceforth care for it responsibly and wisely.

I acknowledge that I have ignored legitimate needs,

I receive strength to confront the fear that has kept me from seeking appropriate help.

I renounce unhealthy habits that have become established, and I receive the grace and discipline to make necessary changes.

I walk in moderation, consistency, and the grace 

Teach me to recognize what my body requires without becoming preoccupied with myself.

Bless the knowledge and resources available for my care, and give wisdom to those entrusted with helping me when professional care is needed.

I look to You as my Healer and the source of my life, while faithfully stewarding what You have placed in my hands.

Let my physical habits support rather than unnecessarily hinder the work You have given me to do.

In the matchless name of Jesus Christ, Amein.

Shalom,

Hephzibah Christly
#TheSpiritualWarrior