Stewards of Our Health

Photo by Jane Palash on Unsplash

While bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. – 1 Timothy 4:8

“I’m still mad at Grandpa for failing to take care of himself,” my adult daughter told me several years after my dad passed away at the age of 67. She was a senior in high school when he died. She knew his grandfather lived into his nineties. My dad’s mother was still alive when he died. My dad cut his life short by smoking two packs of unfiltered cigarettes a day for most of his life, being an alcoholic, and not exercising.

My father lived for his own pleasure because he was not a Christian. He didn’t care how his health affected others. Sadly, I’ve known Christians who think nothing of overeating and not staying active. Their health suffers as they age and they become a burden to their families. But there’s another ditch we can fall into: caring too much about our health.

Putting too much emphasis on diet and exercise while neglecting our spiritual health can be just as devastating. Spending more time serving our health needs than serving the Lord reeks of idolatry. That said, the Bible exhorts us to live for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). He cares about how we care for our bodies.

A healthy lifestyle doesn’t guarantee we’ll stay healthy. We all know people who lived a healthy lifestyle and still developed serious health issues. However, by practicing a healthy diet of reading Scripture daily, prayer, and exercising ourselves by serving others, we ensure that, despite the deterioration of our outer selves, God strengthens our inner person day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)

After Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights, the devil attacked our Lord when he was hungry and weak. “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4: 3–4) After Satan left, angels fed Jesus because he did require physical nourishment. Yes, let’s be good stewards of our physical bodies; there is profit in doing so. But let’s also pursue godliness because whether we remain physically healthy or not, godliness brings eternal rewards.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What are you doing to take care of yourself physically?

2. Do you spend as much time maintaining a healthy relationship with God as you do caring for your body?

3. Which area of your spiritual health could use improvement?

4. What’s one step you can take to improve your pursuit of godliness?