There are many reasons why we need to care for our own health – some obvious, some less obvious. These include our obligations to . . .
1. . . . ourselves, and our families and friends.
2. . . . our places of work and our societies.
3. . . . God.
The first two are self-evident. Our families and friends need us to function on a daily basis. This especially applies if we are parents and we have children who are going to be dependent on us for a very long time. When we’re sick, we put stress on others – practically, emotionally, and financially. But what about our obligation to God to stay healthy and what does the Bible say about this?
Our bodies are a gift from God. He gives them to us so that we can glorify him through our lives. Our bodies are also a spiritual battle ground. We see all the way through Scripture that Jesus brings life and healing. Satan brings death and disease. We need to cooperate with God 100% in his bid to bestow on us a healthy life. When we live a healthy lifestyle, we are aligning ourselves with God’s purposes for us. When we eat unhealthy food and engage in unhealthy life practices, we are assisting Satan in his bid to destroy our health and possibly damage our effectiveness in the Kingdom of God.
The Bible repeatedly makes it clear that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God dwells within us and he decrees heavy penalties on those who destroy his temple.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 KJV
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 6 points out that our bodies no longer belong to us. We have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus. He suffered that we might be healed (Isaiah 53:5). We are called to glorify God in our bodies as well as in our spirits.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Romans 12 commands us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. It is only reasonable service to God that we should keep our bodies holy and acceptable to him. This applies morally and spiritually, but surely it also applies to living a healthy lifestyle. (See also 2 Corinthians 7:1.)
Romans 12:1 KJV
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
In Leviticus 11, God gives detailed instructions on what the Israelites could and couldn’t eat. In doing so, he shows his concern for the diet and health of his people. While it is true, we are no longer under the law, we can still consider God’s wisdom in giving these commandments. After all, it says in 1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Last but not least, God calls us to go out and heal the sick (Matthew 10:8). How are we to give away what we don’t have ourselves?
Clearly, we have a God-given obligation to take care of our bodies. That includes carefully considering our diet and lifestyle. May we honour him in all we do.