Time for Your Body (Mind & Spirit)

721 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYUKHrstWGA
721 Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/864663023?share=copy

Last week we talked about the role of the mind in keeping our Body-Mind-Spirit in balance and in harmony. Today, let’s take a quick look at how our bodies can enhance, or deter, our spiritual journey with Jesus. (You will definitely want to watch the “721 Live” video of this, because we go into much more detail there.) 

Here is our governing scripture: 

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.—1 Cor. 6:19–20 (Bold added)

I used to think in terms only of sexual immorality with respect to “Honor God with your body,” but now I believe it also includes “striving for your body to thrive.” 

I am motivated to talk about this in a “Christian devotional” because your body is in fact not your own. You were bought at a price. You have the opportunity to honor your Father, your Creator, by seeking to be the best you can be in all aspects of your life – and that has to start with your body. 

Let’s say you stayed up late last night, perhaps to watch a movie or a football game. Maybe you had “one more” glass of wine. How will your time with Jesus the next morning be affected? Or with your spouse? Have you ever snapped at your spouse or your precious children because you were tired?  

Have you ever found yourself “phoning it in” on something, anything, perhaps even the dreaded it’s-your-turn-to-teach the Sunday School lesson, because you just weren’t feeling it? 

That is clearly C- living, and you know it is. 

Here are a few video highlights: 

Sleep: You need eight hours of sleep. For most of us that means nine hours of head-on-pillow. If I want to get eight hours from, say 10:00 pm to 6:00 am, then I want to get in bed to read around 9:00. The studies demonstrating the decline in your cognitive ability when losing just one hour of sleep are startling.  

Exercise: We have a saying at 721: “You have to stress the body to de-stress the mind.” When we push our bodies into the red zone, breaking a sweat and breathing hard, we can feel the stress dissipating, and our energy increasing. For your physical as well as your mental health, you simply must get moving. Exercise is a miracle drug, and getting outside is a close companion. 

Weight Training: For your bones and your muscles, as well as your cellular health, you will want to listen to the 721 video. This is absolutely crucial!  

Eating: We have another saying at 721: “We don’t eat to fill up, we eat to fuel up.” Here is where you really want to watch the video, because there are just too many areas that I do not have room to touch on here. But let me be clear: You are likely eating terribly, and you are likely not getting anywhere near the protein you need each day: 50%-80% of your body weight, depending on your age and level of exercise. 

Fasting: Please research the enormous – gigantic! – benefits of fasting. 

Intermittent Fasting: Ditto above. And this one you can incorporate into your lifestyle for tremendous benefits. (Google Autophagy!)   

Cold Water: Again, research the benefits of cold showers and cold-water plunges. 

Longevity Pathways: All these above serve to open up what the scientists call your “Longevity Pathways.” These serve to not only enable you to live longer, but to live better, longer.  

If all this seems non-spiritual, I am undaunted in my presentation and in my urging you to get involved. I will end with this:  

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  ²⁶Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.—1 Cor. 9:25–27

 Strive to thrive!