What does it mean to “honour God with your body,” and how can you practically do this? Do you worry about the health and condition of your body? What is God’s purpose for your body? Does it even matter whether or not you are healthy?  

In this article, we will discuss how to honour God with your body and the instructions He commanded to take care of your body by providing tips and strategies to transform your health while strengthening your faith to achieve the life-long rewards of a healthy lifestyle.

We will also discuss the spiritual aspect and how a healthy you can deepen your relationship with God, overcome temptations and addictions, and develop a more loving and grateful heart so you can enjoy the advantages of healthy living for your whole life.

What does it mean to honour God with your body?

“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 at a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NLT)

This is a Bible verse you’ve probably heard before that discusses the connection between your body and the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that your body is a safe home for the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is how you connect with God every day. You need a healthy body along with the Holy Spirit’s guidance to work together to live your purpose and live optimally. As a believer, it is also your responsibility to honour God with your body by taking care of your health and respecting the body that God has gifted you by taking the necessary steps to keep it clean from the inside out.

Why does God want You to be healthy?

From the beginning, God created your body as a way for you to experience and navigate the physical world. Take a moment and think of the complexity of the human body and it’s job in keeping you alive and allowing you to do everything you do every second of every day. From the millions of red blood cells it creates per second to transport oxygen to all of your body’s cells and tissues to the billions of neurons in your brain sending signals throughout your whole body, it’s incredible! Scientists are still trying to figure out many details. The creator of your body, who knows exactly how it works, gave you instructions on how to take care of it, and He trusts you to do so as an act of stewardship.

God cares deeply about your physical and spiritual well-being. Good health is essential for your overall well-being and allows you to better serve God and your communities. By taking care of your body, you can improve your ability to focus on God and follow His will for your life.

Your health is one of the most important things in life, and it is the ultimate gift from God. After all, Jesus paid for it with his own body and blood. In responsive appreciation for this gift, God wants you to use it to honor, glorify, and serve him to fulfill His will for your life.

What are the benefits of a healthy lifestyle?

The lifelong benefits of health are endless! Regardless of your reason, you want to make the appropriate lifestyle changes to live up to your full potential. You can achieve the elite health and wellness that God wants for you by going back to the ancient wisdom of the Orthodox Church’s teachings.

7 Practices to Honour God with Your Body

Let’s practically better understand how you can honour God with your body.  Here are 7 practices that can help you transform your health while strengthening your faith:

 1. Daily Quiet Time with God & Bible Study

Spending time in prayer and quiet time meditation each day deepens your relationship with God and increases your spiritual strength. Reading and studying the Bible regularly can deepen your connections with God and align our will with His. There are many devotional guides and apps that can deepen your understanding and reflection.

2. Nourishing your body

Healthy eating is important for several reasons. Your body needs macronutrients (protein, fat & carbohydrates) and micronutrients (a variety of vitamins & minerals) to function properly. An imbalance of these macronutrients or deficiencies in micronutrients can lead our body to disease and unpleasant symptoms. A balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and good fats can help provide the necessary nutrients for the body to function properly. This will also aid in the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well as weight management and the improvement of overall mood and cognitive function.

On the other hand, consuming a diet that is high in processed foods and sugary drinks can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, fatigue and irritability, weight gain, and obesity.

Eat wholesome, nutrient-dense foods that help you maintain optimal health and increase your energy levels. Stay hydrated by drinking water created by God. Develop a healthy relationship with food and ditch dieting. Seek guidance from a Registered Dietitian on the Dietitian of Canada website or read more in the nutrition blog and contact me if you have questions.

During times of the year, the Orthodox church fasts from animal-based foods to increase discipline, humility and focus on God.

3. Regular Exercise & physical fitness

Regular exercise is vital for maintaining good physical and mental health. Your pain-free body will effortlessly provide you with the energy and vitality to support the activities of day-to-day living and have an ideal body weight while reducing your risk of many diseases. Aim to engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling, at least five days a week. Include some resistance training 3 times a week to maintain and strengthen your lean muscle mass, protect you from injuries, and keep you strong. 

4.  Worship, gratitude, joy & serving others

Our bodies also play an important role in our spiritual well-being. Participating in worship and serving others can help you focus on God’s love and grace and bring you closer to Him. Practice gratitude, and cultivating joy can improve your overall well-being and bring honour to God. 

5. Balanced life: Hard work and rest

God commanded us (as part of the 10 commandments) to rest, as He did, on the 7^th day. It is important to give your body the rest it needs. Adequate sleep is essential for maintaining good physical and mental health. Aim to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. As we honour God with our bodies, it’s important to listen to your body’s needs and to rest when feeling tired or unwell. 

You may be spending so much of your time working for the accumulation of wealth; however, without good health, you can’t enjoy your wealth to the fullest extent, and your experiences in life may be limited. If you lose your health, you spend all your time and money trying to get it back. Those who don’t make time for a healthy lifestyle may need to make time for illness.

God warns against laziness and the temptation to sleep. You should not rest when you should be working.

6. Avoid things that damage our bodies

It is not only what you eat or drink; it is also what you watch, what you listen to, what you read, and the people you surround yourself with. Remember the nursery rhyme, “Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see? For the father up above is looking down in love, so be careful, little eyes, what you see.” It repeats for what you hear, what you say, what you do, where you go, what you think, and who you trust. Swearing, yelling, hitting, spitting, lying, and lusting are example of not respecting God’s creation. Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and other addictions have negative effects on your health, both physically and spiritually. It’s important to avoid these habits and to seek help if you struggle with addiction.

7. Check in with your doctor

Seek medical care when necessary. If you have any health concerns, it’s important to seek medical care and follow the advice of your doctor. We strongly recommend annual checkups that include a thorough blood work panel for nutrient deficiencies detection.

Conclusion:

Transforming Your Health and Strengthening Your Faith: 7 Habits for Honoring God with Your Body is a guide to living a holistic, healthy life that brings honor to God. The body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and it is important to take care of it to serve God effectively.

By incorporating these habits into your daily routine, you are honoring God with your body and benefiting both your physical health and your soul’s proximity to God’s kingdom. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone. It is an important aspect of our Christian walk to be mindful of the things we put in our bodies through healthy eating, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and avoiding harmful habits.

In summary, God cares deeply about our physical and spiritual well-being. By taking care of our bodies, we honor God and improve our ability to focus on Him and follow His will for our lives. You are responsible for taking care of it, with a positive attitude towards your body and a commitment to obey and honor God. Nourish your body to serve the soul.

Reflection & Action: Where do you start?

If you just came up with a list of things that you wish you were doing differently and are feeling overwhelmed, don’t feel discouraged. I want to congratulate you for being here! You are already one step closer to becoming the healthiest version of yourself 🙂

Depending on where you are, the road to health may seem long, but small baby steps will turn days into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. You can reach your health goals because He loves you, and it is His will for your life.  

Begin by acknowledging that God loves you exactly as you are and by loving your body exactly as God designed it.

Start small by answering some questions:

• Why do you want to be healthy?
• What would elite health look like for your life? Which life-long benefit of health motivates you most? Describe what your life would look like in detail.
• Write down 3 health goals:

• How will you reward yourself when you achieve your goals?
• Where will you start? List 3 things you can do today?
• Be specific by completing these sentences:
  • I will do more of…
  • I will do less…
  • I will start… (insert date)

“God created it. Jesus died for it. The spirit lives in it. So we better take care of it.” (Pastor Rick Warren)

Christine Rezk, BASc, RD, CBE

Christine Rezk is a Registered Dietitian in Ontario, Canada. She has over two decades of experience in clinical nutrition and plant-based eating and is the founder of the Plant-Powered Orthodox Christians blog. Christine has also been part of various publications and is an expert at translating the complex science of nutrition into helpful and practical information for readers.