Undaunted.Life: A Man's DevotionalSample

PHYSICAL, Day 1: Body of Glorification

The third element of an Undaunted.Life is to have PHYSICAL resilience. Many men find respite in developing their physical strength while others neglect it almost entirely. However, the attainment of physical strength can help connect us to God in a unique way.

Today’s scripture is probably the most popular verse that refers to the literal bodies of believers in all of the New Testament. Most of us have probably heard this verse quoted in a plethora of contexts. The scripture can refer to many things about the body, such as physical purity and chastity, but we will focus on physical health and temperance.

Paul leaves no wiggle room for us in these verses. In short, Paul would tell us the following things about our bodies:

-The Holy Spirit is housed there.
-We do not own our bodies.
-Our bodies were purchased at a high price.
-We must use our bodies to glorify God.

Easy to read. Hard to do.

Especially if you’ve heard this verse before, it can be easy to glaze over the magnitude of it. However, we need scriptures like these to remind us about the importance of caring for our bodies. These verses can serve as anchor points for us as we try to start or maintain a healthy diet or exercise regimen. They can also help us if we are struggling to control our intake of food or alcohol.

The reason is because God is not calling us to exercise several times a week just so we can feel better physically. Furthermore, God is not calling us to consume a healthy diet so we can fit comfortably into our favorite pair of jeans again. Also, God is not calling us to avoid overeating or getting drunk just so it can be easier for us to get out of bed the next morning. While all of those things are good, God’s reasoning is way better and more important than that.

Our physical bodies were bought with a price. That price was the life of Jesus. It was a high price to pay, but God provided a way for the debt to be covered by his son. Since our bodies were purchased, we do not own them. Since we do not own them, we should not dictate how they are used. We should care for them as if we take Paul’s words literally. If our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit, then we should focus on making the temples as physically strong and healthy as we can.

Would you say that your current diet and exercise regimen is honoring God up to the standard that he set? If yes, share your regimen with a friend who is not doing well in this area. If no, what changes can you make to improve your physical life today?