Take Care of Your Temple

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT) 

Though this verse in context references sexual immorality, it establishes a foundation for realizing value and ownership. When you make healthy eating choices, you take care of the temple God gave you. In other words, good self-care honors the Lord. You only have one body, and it needs to last a lifetime. If you are healthy, you can fulfill the unique purpose God has planned for you. Also, you will be a godly influence in the lives of those you love for a more extended period of time to help them grow into who God created them to be. 

In our society, it is easy to fall into the food addiction trap, and when we do, we are not taking care of our body. Every day we face food temptations. As soon as we take that first bite of a pastry, dopamine releases in the brain, our focus narrows, and we consume more than we planned to eat. You can become addicted to food, especially foods containing wheat, sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup. Food addiction rewires the neural pathways in a person’s brain and leads to gluttony.

The Bible tells us that gluttony, which is overeating, is a sin, as implied in Proverbs 23:1-3,

“When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive” (NIV). 

Deceptive foods tempt us wherever we turn, and we do not have the willpower to stop eating, so we binge. Paul struggled with sin:

“The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” Romans 7:14-15 (NLT).

Therefore, we cannot fight this battle alone. We need God and his Word.

Do you feel as though you are a slave to something? If you believe you sinned through gluttony, ask God to forgive you and help you overcome the desires of your flesh. He will help you, so face the truth without shame and resolve to turn away from any sin.

With the help of Christ, you can overcome, as Paul expresses in Romans 7:24-25,

“Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (NLT).

Jesus is the key to unlocking the chains of bondage.

Copyright © 2019 Susan U. Neal, used with permission.