A Bod for God

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am an avid runner. I enjoy the competition of races and the accomplished feeling I get after powering through a grueling multi-hour run. On top of all that, running is incredibly healthy. There had been countless textbooks written on the health benefits of running, so I won't bog you down by writing about that.

Today I was reading over some verses and it got me thinking about God and our bodies. The Bible talks a lot about our bodies and usually ties it to the glory of God.

[...] The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
(1 Corinthians 6:13-14 ESV)

I find it really interesting that Paul encourages us to avoid sexual immorality and then immediately starts talking about the resurrection of Christ and the power of God. This shows just how much importance God places on our bodies.

What I mean is that it was through Jesus' physical body and His resurrection that God gave undeniable proof that He was working. Through that, He was glorified. It was by witnessing this act of resurrection that the cowardly apostles were transformed into bold preachers of the word of God, thus glorifying the Lord. God also desires to be glorified in our bodies, displaying His power to the world through us.

By taking care of our body, we give God the best canvass possibly on which to glorify Himself through us. When we remain sexually pure, eat well, exercise regularly, read books instead of watching TV, and take good care of ourselves, God is able to better use us.

Just to clarify, I'm not saying that you have to be a supermodel or a health nut in order to glorify God. I'm just talking about taking good care of yourself. Make an effort and prayerfully try to be the best version of you that you can be. The result might look different for different people, but God sees the heart and He will bless your efforts.