They say that your body is a temple, but what does that really entail?
What does it take to get your body into a state that is worthy to be a temple for God?
Surely it requires sacrifices and missing out on what others are doing, right?
Like missing out on a highschool party on Friday night which all your mates are going to because you choose not to indulge in alcohol consumption and other activities that will blemish your “temple”. Many people are riddled with FOMO (the fear of missing out). So does that include missing out on a social life, losing popularity and becoming the awkward ‘Holy Roller’ in order to keep your temple blemish-free?
As an Adventist, it is expected to abstain from worldly activities, but surely one drink, one smoke, one drive while intoxicated, just one more steak won’t cause that much harm… Or will it?
But, perhaps one, just one of those things is all it takes to dissuade you from maintaining “your temple” and living your life for the glory of God. Because once you stop treating your temple with such high regard, it becomes easier and easier to let it fall lower and lower on your list of priorities.
Your physical body is an integral part of “your temple” and may determine your diet choice, such as being vegan or vegetarian. However, those tofu nuggets or that vegan Ben & Jerry’s aren’t exactly healthy, but they are awfully tempting, aren’t they? So how far do you have to go in order to keep your temple in shape for the Holy Spirit to abide in it?
Paul tells us that our body doesn’t actually belong to us, that it is gifted to us by our Heavenly Father.
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 honour God with your bodies
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV
So with this, you begin to realise that you need to care for your temple, keeping in shape and not discarding self-care even though you’re swamped in assignments at school or drowning under the workload of your new job.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it?
But the truth of it is everyone gets discouraged and unmotivated to look after themselves in the midst of a stressful week. So how do you maintain a healthy temple? You need to remember that being healthy isn’t ONLY your physical state, but also mental and spiritual. It is ESSENTIAL to be mindful of these elements of well-being to give God glory and honour as Paul instructs in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
So how do you achieve this optimum well-being for your temple? Honestly, it involves HARD and COMMITTED work.
Physical Health
You need to exercise regularly, allowing your body to maintain bone and muscle health and avoid heart diseases. This is especially important when you get older in order to keep your temple in the best condition.
It is important to eat a healthy diet of mainly fruits and vegetables and avoid a majority of animal products to reduce the likelihood of coronary heart disease, strokes and even cancer. Keeping your temple sacred is especially important when it comes to food and drink. We can learn this from Daniel and his friends when they refused to defile their temples with the King’s food and wine (Daniel 1).
Spiritual Health
You also need to nurture your spiritual health through frequent prayer and devoting time to be spent with God. Through reading your Bible and talking with God each day, you will notice your spiritual health increase dramatically.
Mental Health
Another vital ingredient to achieving the optimum health for your temple is your mental health. Mental health is especially important during COVID-19. To maintain a healthy state of mind it is important to keep in touch with loved ones, gain a self-care routine and refrain from spending too much time on social media.
Through these things, even though you may perceive them as too far or extreme, they contribute largely to keeping your temple sacred.
It may sound like a lot of work, but Paul gives us encouragement by reminding us that we CAN do all things through Christ because He gives us strength (Philippians 4:13).
So does it really sound all that hard when we have our Heavenly Father helping us out?
Perhaps it will not be as hard or too far as it first seemed. If you consistently maintain these ingredients of holistic health, you will take excellent care of your temple and as a result, be a vessel for God.
WRITER: Mikaela Huston, from the Vic Conference.