Romans 12:1 (NLT)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
Not until recently did I fully understand this passage. (And truthfully, I probably still have no idea. So, let me now say a fuller understanding.) When we choose Christ, we choose to lay our lives down not only as a sacrifice, but as a living one. That means at least two things to me:
1. Because I’m a living sacrifice, I can get up off the alter anytime I want.
2. I am not here to merely exist, but to live!
In order to live life to the fullest and minister to others as part of our reasonable sacrifice, we must live. Be healthy and well. Barring anything from GOD and beyond our control, Christ-followers should be the healthiest people in the world. A healthy lifestyle and eating habits should be part of that light we shine to the world. GOD desires his people to be fit and well so we can accomplish his purposes for us.
Like with salvation, YAHWEH gives us the choice. He plainly unfurls his health plan out in the Scripture, names the best foods to eat, relates the benefit in physical exercise, promises to answer our prayers, heals us, speaks of the freedom in forgiveness, and much more. Its up to us to follow through (faith-in-action, not faith inaction).
As a whole, we’re failing to shine in this department. According to numerous studies, Christians outweigh their Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist friends in obesity and lack of exercise levels. With Baptists being the top denomination. Good thing we’re not Baptist, huh?
Application: Quit existing and start living! Being healthy and fit is like having a new body and a second chance at life. It will give you the energy and vitality to be and do everything YAHWEH has for you.
Nutrition Tip: Avoid pork whenever possible. (I know this one will make me very unpopular). In case you haven’t noticed, pigs aren’t the cleanest animals in the world. You won’t listen to me here, but do your research and see if you still fancy those pork chops… The good news: I highly recommend deer!
Exercise Tip: Be a kid! Knock the dust off the old bike (or pick one up at a carport sale) and ride with your kids. You get family time and another fun way to squeeze some exercise into the schedule. No bike? You can still be a kid. Play chase with the kids at the playground. Just remember that the tubes are smaller than they used to be (or are we bigger?). And who cares what people think. You only get one go around with both life and your kids. Make the most of it!
