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Past Thought for the week messages Glorifying God in our eating
Past Thought for the week messages Glorifying God in our eating | Glorifying God in our eating |
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Can we really glorify God in something as mundane as our eating and drinking? Certainly we can! We are all familiar with the maxim which says, ‘You are what you eat.’ Although not absolutely true (in that our eating does not constitute our true identity) it is certainly partially true that our bodily appearance is a reflection of how we feed it. A glamorous body may not glorify God, but a healthy, well-maintained one (as far as it is humanly possible) does. By looking after my body – feeding it the nutrients it needs, not abusing it with excessive amounts of junk food, exercising regularly, etc – I show my respect for God who created me. In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul writes: 'Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you and you are not your own.' In thye next verse he exhorts us to 'glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's.' So there we have it! My body doesn't belong to me; it belongs to God and that makes me a steward. My body has been given to me in trust so it is both my privilege and responsibility to eat and drink in a way which will glorify Him. Sometimes we see vehicles on the road which are so dirty that people have been able to write cryptic comments in the grime. What does it tell us about the driver of the vehicle? Basically it conveys the message that he doesn't care or doesn't consider it his responsibility to look after it. If the name of the company is on the van I would think twice before booking them for the particular service they offer! Now I am not suggesting that if your body is in bad shape that you are automatically to blame, nor that you are necessarily being a 'bad witness.' I am fully aware that there are those of us who have physical challenges for which we are not responsible and can do nothing about. I can only speak for myself, and say that in the past I did neglect my body through irresponsible eating and lack of exercise and that my body certainly did not glorify God, my Maker. But God never convicts us of what is amiss in our lives without offering us His grace to enable us to put things right. He doesn't condemn - He forgives and offers hope. All He wants from us is a humble admission of the truth and that we turn away from our futile efforts to help ourselves and instead learn to put our trust in Him. He will do the rest. |
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