Devotional for Friday January 2nd

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We must commit our bodies to God.

Romans 12:1-2 is a fascinating passage of Scripture because in just two sentences Paul effectively illustrates how it is that all facets of our being interact and effect one another.

He begins by urging us to present our physical, mortal bodies to God as a living sacrifice. That thought makes it clear that what we do with our body matters very much to God. How we take care of our body and the things we use it for should be holy and pleasing to Him.

Then Paul makes the connection between the physical condition and use of our body, to the spiritual act of worship. What we do with our body can be an act of worship. There is a clear connection here between the physical and the spiritual.

In the next section Paul writes about the mind. Not only must the body and the spirit interact in a way that is holy and pleasing to God, but the mind is involved too. The mind needs to be renewed and transformed. All of this together – body, mind, and spirit – cared for, healthy, and committed to God, is holy and pleasing to Him.

But Paul starts with the body. As Rick Warren points out, “What you do with your body sets the tone for everything else. Physical health influences your mental health, your spiritual health, your emotional health, your relational health, and even your financial health.”

When we have good physical health we then have the energy and alertness to make needed changes in other areas of our life as well. Will you commit to taking good care of your body? We’ll explore this idea a little further tomorrow.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim