REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) | 19 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; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Timothy 4:8 (ESV)8 for 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.
OBJECTIVES
To understand that we can glorify God with our body & health.
CONTENT
Being healthy is not about becoming an athlete. As basic as it is, good health is the foundation before we can do practically anything in life. We need to be healthy to help others, to worship, to work and whatnot. That’s why we need to be faithful with keeping our health.
- WHAT IS HEALTHY?
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) | 19 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; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
- WHO described, health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or infirmity
- God created our body from the dust, and it is the first thing God create for us before He put life into it. We have body, soul, & spirit. While soul & spirit is not visible, body is like a vessel, it is the only tangible things God give to us to be physically present in this earth.
- Being healthy is more than bodily healthy, but also mentally and social well being.
- HOW TO BE HEALTHY?
- While Bible do not specifically mention how to be healthy, but with our modern knowledge we know that many factors affect our health. Harvard state that to be healthy people need to have lifestyle habit like, healthy diet, physical activity, not smoking, less alcohol, and maintain body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.9. Some research show that having a good rest / sleep also help to be healthy.
- I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. | 1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT.
- Simple lifestyle habit such as walking or drinking more water affect our physical & mental health. As the Mayo Clinic explain, that exercise help people to relax and lower symptoms of mild depression and anxiety.
- As a Christian, Bible teach us about self-control and discipline. While some factor of unhealthy life due to people lost control and slacking in life. Remember, sloth and gluttony is part of 7 deadly sins.
Note : some health issue still need to be consult with Doctor or expert.
- GOAL OF HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
- We as Christian should have bigger goal for our health, not only as a way to have longer life or good self-image.
- Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. | 1 Corinthians 9:25 NLT.
- God can use anything even sickness for His glory. But don’t be foolish as satan also want to disable us to be as less effective for God’s kingdom if we are not maintaining our health. We are not too busy to keep ourselves healthy; in fact, to keep up with the inevitable demands of ministry, we can’t afford to overlook our physical health.
- Exercise and ministry can be friends. For example, if we can exercise by playing basketball, soccer, or some other team sport — as opposed to going for solo walks or runs — we may find unique ways to be part of a local community and develop relationships whereby we can share the gospel. Redeeming the time is hard to do, but getting exercise in a social context can have many benefits as Christians.
- Our life is not ours anymore but God’s. We know that we have the ultimate prize, which is eternal life. We push forward to the greatest goal ever. Then how we should we use our life? To glorify God. And we can effectively do God’s mission, share life, etc if we can have healthy life on the first place.
REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTION
- How do you maintain your physical & mental health? Share any simple tips and tricks that works for you.
- How do we use our health for God’s glory?
RESOURCES