Honor God with your body

"you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:20 NIV

In an article posted by Trail Runner Magazine last week, five of the world's top American Masters runners that were gearing up to run the World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Ireland were asked the question many runners have pondered, "What’s the secret to a long life of competitive running?" Among their responses were, "Remember to rest, even if that rest day is some form of cross training like cycling, cross country skiing, or snowshoeing" and "Listen to your body and pay attention to little aches and pains so they don’t progress to full blown career-ending injuries… Don’t run more; run smarter. Quality over quantity, including some speed work. Rest and recover. " My favorite tip though came from 50-year-old Sarah Wagner who has been running for 35 years, "Respecting and honoring our bodies. It’s important that we take care of ourselves as best we can – being mindful of what we’re putting into our bodies, getting regular body work, immersing oneself in nature, sharing miles with friends, getting rest, and staying away from stress.”

And you know, when it comes to respecting our bodies, the Bible tells us that our bodies are not our own. Which means we shouldn’t treat them that way. You and I were bought at a price, we belong to Christ, and should “therefore honor God” with our bodies. This means taking the utmost care of them so that we can serve Jesus better, having the long life and abundant energy that comes from eating right, exercising regularly, and getting proper sleep. Spurgeon says it this way, “Your body was a willing horse when it was in the service of the devil, let it not be a sluggish hack now that it draws the chariot of Christ.”

So do all that you can to keep your body healthy my friend, remembering that your earthly shell doesn’t really belong to you. Our bodies belong to God which means we don’t have the right to abuse, pollute or neglect them. We must keep them fit for service at all times no matter how old we are.

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that our bodies were bought at a price, the sum of which we could never repay. Help us to truly understand this Lord so that we would take the utmost care of them so that we could serve you well throughout our lifetime. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!