Well I wasn’t super happy this past week with my cholesterol check.  Apparently the number 196 is not very good.  At least my Dr. friend didn’t like it. He said that 200 is the beginning of the danger zone and obviously I’m not too far removed from that number.  So I took my beating and was told that my exercise routine needs to get longer and my diet needs to get smaller.  No, I was not thrilled at the results.  Beyond just not liking the idea of having a growing gut I recognized that if my cholesterol grows there can be health risks which will hold ramifications for my family.  In short, I need to get healthier not just for me, but for them.  After ruminating a bit it became clear that there are also spiritual implications to this bodily discussion. 

The interesting thing is that the Bible actually refers to our bodies as the Temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore we are called to treat them with respect and reverence.  We are to “honor God with our bodies.”  While the actual context of that passage speaks to sexual purity, the other applications are obvious.  Paul notes that godly training is what really matters but that “Physical training” is still of some value.

Some value?  Yup, there it is.  Now don’t worry, I’m not calling everyone out to calisthenics tomorrow morning at 5:00 a.m. like the Olympians.  But I am noting that if this is the only body we have on this side of eternity, then it would reason that we need to manage it like the God given resource it is.  We need to use it for His glory in every way we can.  So from my end I will be walking more and getting back on the bike which I haven’t done since Junior High School.  I’ll be cutting down on the Taco Bell and dishing up more lettuce.  My point in all this is not that I’ve decided to worship my body and live forever.  But rather I’m doing this to worship God with the body I have as long as I live.

So, how are your counts doing these days?  What are you doing to get the most out of the body you’ve been entrusted with?