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 with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT
Right now, we are finding ourselves in the middle of a season that is new for all of us. The Novel Coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic have displaced our ordinary lives. You may be feeling that you are unprepared for this season and find yourself struggling to know what to do or how to stay healthy. Thankfully God is never caught off guard.
We hope that this field guide can serve as a helpful tool for you. We have looked at five key areas of life where we are finding ourselves impacted right now: Emotional, Physical, Spiritual, Social, and Mental.
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I briefly want to share on the importance of taking care of our physical bodies during this time. How do we treat our "temples"? We often think that our health issues are a result of the enemy attacking us. That can be true, but most of the time, we can do something about our physical health. It's our responsibility to choose what helps us maintain good physical health. So here are some practical ways we can take care of our physical health during this time. And remember, don't be too hard on yourself! Give yourself grace as you may be trying something new.
Action Steps:
- Schedule time to exercise outdoors.
Take a socially distanced walk or run with a friend. Participate in non-contact activities. - Schedule time to exercise indoors.
Thanks to YouTube, there are thousands of in-home exercises you can do for free! Remember, to maintain a healthy immune system, physical activity must be a priority during this time. - Make it a priority to drink plenty of water.
Choosing water instead of sweet beverages will help you avoid overeating and watch your weight. - Play games with your family.
What a time to build and invest in our families! The Center for Disease Control recommends sixty minutes of physical activity each day for children and teens. Remember, what counts is that you're moving! - Create a daily routine.
Making a daily routine and sticking to it will help you achieve your physical goals.
On a personal note, I would like to share something.
Growing up, I played sports, and I struggled with how I viewed my body. It took me a while to understand Psalm 139:14, which states, "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex." I heard this verse in church so many times, but I still struggled. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I began to truly understand the importance of having a good view of our bodies.
Our bodies are designed beautifully by our creator. We need to see our bodies healthily. Let's take care of our temples. And give ourselves grace in the process.
Here is a prayer to aid you as you focus on your physical health.
Jesus, help me to remember that you have called me to treat my body like a sacred place.
Help me not to forget that you have created my body and called it good.
Help me to care for it because it is a gift that reflects you.
As you are thinking through these steps, here is a helpful table you can print out (or make yourself), to plan out what action steps you plan to take each day of the week:
Please know that you can always reach out to us for support. Our Care Team and Pastors would love to connect with you and support you during this time. They can be reached at 844.364.4673
