Stewardship of the Body - Introduction
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"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." (3 John 2) The biblical concept of stewardship is more than just a matter of money management. It is utilizing our God-given Time, Talents, Treasure and Testimony (the 4-Ts) to glorify God and to serve others. But there is a fifth T that we could include in that list. God also calls for us to be wise stewards of our bodies which are a Temple of the Holy Spirit (please consider 1 Corinthians 6:19). As wise stewards of our God-given body, we want to avoid two extremes. On the one extreme is an obsession with self-care which can quickly become selfish and even idolatrous. On the other extreme is neglect of health and well-being which can lead to increased stress levels and greater susceptibility to illnesses and diseases. Taking care of our bodies can bring glory to our Creator God and also equip us to better care for the needs of others around us. During the following month we will provide a devotional series that explores stewardship of the body (Temple stewardship). We will explore fascinating aspects of God's creative design. For example, did you know that some of the most powerful immune-supporting foods are cruciferous vegetables (receiving their name from their cross-shaped "cruciferous" leaves)? Isn't it fascinating that our Creator God marked some of the healthiest foods with a cross?!? In addition to exploring God's creative design, we will also consider practical tips on how we can all be wiser stewards of our bodies as we implement simple health and wellness tips in our daily lives. These tips aren't intended as medical advice but simply consideration points as you research it further and consult your doctor. Most importantly, however, we will seek to praise our incredible Creator God and his Son who shared in our humanity to redeem our mortal bodies and resurrect us on the Last Day!
Transcript of Stewardship of the Body - Introduction
"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy goodhealth and that all may go well with you, even asyour soul is getting along well." (3 John 2)
The biblical concept of stewardship is more than just amatter of money management. It is utilizing ourGod-given Time, Talents, Treasure and Testimony(the 4-Ts) to glorify God and to serve others. But thereis a fifth T that we could include in that list. God alsocalls for us to be wise stewards of our bodies whichare a Temple of the Holy Spirit (please consider 1Corinthians 6:19).
As wise stewards of our God-given body, we want to avoid two extremes. On the one extreme isan obsession with self-care which can quickly become selfish and even idolatrous. On the otherextreme is neglect of health and well-being which can lead to increased stress levels and greatersusceptibility to illnesses and diseases. Taking care of our bodies can bring glory to our CreatorGod and also equip us to better care for the needs of others around us.
During the following month we will provide a devotional series that explores stewardship of thebody (Temple stewardship). We will explore fascinating aspects of God's creative design. Forexample, did you know that some of the most powerful immune-supporting foods are cruciferousvegetables (receiving their name from their cross-shaped "cruciferous" leaves)? Isn't itfascinating that our Creator God marked some of the healthiest foods with a cross?!? In additionto exploring God's creative design, we will also consider practical tips on how we can all bewiser stewards of our bodies as we implement simple health and wellness tips in our daily lives.These tips aren't intended as medical advice but simply consideration points as you research itfurther and consult your doctor. Most importantly, however, we will seek to praise our incredibleCreator God and his Son who shared in our humanity to redeem our mortal bodies and resurrectus on the Last Day!
