Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?

1 Corinthians 6:19

Early in the morning four times a week, I go to the local gym for exercise. I join people from all walks of life, young and old, who want to care for their bodies by keeping physically fit. Many of us hav abused our bodies with unhealthy diets and poor habits. However, many people now are becoming more aware of the benefits of healthy eating and physical fitness.

Paul knew about the vital link between our physical and spiritual needs. "Your body," he wrote, "is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you." I confess there have been times in my own experience that I thought some problem was a spritual one when acutally it wad due to physical exhaustion. The spirit has been willing when the flesh has been weak. (See Matt. 26:41.) Paul wrote, "The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual" (1 Cor. 15:46.)

Consequently, I need to take care of my body for its own sake as well as for the important effect my physical condition can have on my spiritual well-being. God is concerned about both body and spirit. Regardless of our fitness level, we are indeed "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps. 139:14).

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: How can I care for my body more wisely?