christforspain

Let’s look after them.

Have you ever stopped to think about what you are eating and drinking or what you are pushing around in the supermarket trolley?

What we feed our bodies is so important because it shapes who we are. The food we choose to eat, as well as what we choose to listen to, feeds us both physically and spiritually. That’s why we must choose wisely.

If we continually feed ourselves with poor nutrition and listen to podcasts or watch YouTube Shorts that don’t spiritually edify us, we are doing more harm to our bodies than good. In 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, the Bible makes it clear that as born again believers, our bodies belong to God; they are temples of the Holy Spirit. Knowing this, why would we not want to care for them?

Not paying attention to what we eat and drink can begin to show its effects over time. We may feel more lethargic than usual, notice that we are gaining weight, and find ourselves visiting the doctor more frequently. Our general well-being is no longer the same, and even our mental state can be affected. Feelings of depression, laziness, and a lack of motivation can creep in.

We begin to accept the mindset that “it’s normal—it’s just part of aging,” or we say that “being ill is the norm and can’t be avoided.”

I can honestly say that almost all the conversations I hear these days, among both believers and non-believers, are centered around illness and medication. How can we, as believers in Christ, shine like a light and represent Christ living in us if we are speaking in the same way as those who don’t know Him?

By constantly speaking this way, we give the enemy, satan, far too much attention instead of glorifying God. How will those around us ever have hope in knowing their Lord and Saviour if we are setting such a poor example?

God wants us to be strong and healthy. Did you know that?

There is nowhere in the Bible that tells us we should expect to wear glasses when we reach our 40s, have joint pain in our 50s, suffer from weak bones, back pain, or high cholesterol. The list goes on. These expectations have been pushed upon us over the years, and we have accepted them as truth.

Unfortunately, society has played a big part in this. As soon as we turn 50, an appointment for a colon screening arrives in the post, advertisements for glasses begin appearing on our phones, and funeral plan promotions start bombarding our inboxes. Of course, because so much of our data is available, big tech companies know a great deal about us and know exactly what to send us.

But what really matters is how we respond. Do we simply go along with what is considered normal and book a colon screening, an eye test, and a medical check-up? Or do we declare, “My body belongs to Jesus, and when He died on the cross for me, He took away not only my sin but also my sickness and disease.”

As 1 Peter 2:24 says, “By His wounds you have been healed.”

We need to start living like Christians and realise that God has our healing and believe that He has already healed us, and start praising Him and trusting Him. We need to put our faith into action and talk to the pain or sickness as Jesus says in Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

We really need to examine what we are feeding ourselves on. Let’s start with food and drink.

What should we be avoiding?

Processed food is a good place to start. The way this food is prepared isn’t healthy. It’s sold as looking delicious and being so convenient, but it often contains unhealthy ingredients and has very little nutritional value. Chicken nuggets, frozen pizzas, and ready-made meals generally fall into this category.

Many of us are feeding these foods to our children too and washing them down with Coke or Fanta, neither of which should be consumed on a daily basis.

Choose olive oil whenever you can instead of seed oils as a healthier option. We should also check the ingredients on the products we buy.

Sweets and pre-packed cakes may look delicious, but once you know what’s inside them, you’ll probably want to leave them on the shelf.

Unfortunately, supermarkets tend to put this type of food on special offer. How often do you see offers such as, “Buy a bag of apples and get one free”? I rarely see promotions like that. Instead, the special offers are usually on processed foods.

TV doesn’t help much either, as it generally advertises unhealthy food. We regularly see adverts for pizzas, Oreos, and breakfast cereals, to mention just a few, but we rarely see advertisements promoting healthy foods.

In fact, one of the least healthy options children are given for breakfast is cereal. It’s marketed as being fortified with vitamins and iron, but what the packaging doesn’t tell you is how many additives are also included. Children’s cereals are usually one of the worst offenders.

I have found that better options include Weetabix, Shredded Wheat, and oats. Try to avoid cereals with added chocolate or excessive amounts of sugar.

Fizzy drinks are a common feature in the average family’s shopping trolley. Not only are they full of unhealthy ingredients, but they also don’t quench your thirst. As a result, we often end up drinking more of them.

Water is the best choice for staying hydrated and quenching your thirst. If you find plain water a little bland, try adding freshly squeezed lemon. If it’s too bitter, you can add a little honey.

Also, try to avoid fruit juices that are high in sugar. Some are labelled as orange nectar or another type of fruit nectar. These usually contain less fruit and a higher sugar content than pure fruit juice. Instead, look for 100% natural fruit juice or, better still, squeeze your own.

I am not a nutritionist, so I don’t want to come across as an expert in this field. However, I do use common sense and spend time reading food labels so that I can make the best choices possible within my budget.

There are also food apps available that can help you while you’re shopping. They allow you to scan products, give them a rating, and provide information about ingredients, additives, and nutritional value.

It might seem a little tedious at first, but once you know what to avoid, it becomes much quicker. Before long, you’ll find that your shopping trolley is filled with healthier choices.

Of course, the best way to eat more healthily is to make it yourself. That way, you know exactly what’s going into your meals. It’s also better to choose food with the fewest amount of ingredients listed on the label. In another blog, I’ll share some simple and economic ideas and openly welcome others. 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 as it says here that we are God’s temple and we together are that temple. So we can encourage each other spiritually and with taking care of ourselves.

What do you do in the evening? Have dinner and watch the news?

This seems to be the most common scenario in many homes today. Personally, I don’t like having the TV on while I’m having dinner. I find it an intrusion on what should be a special time to catch up with our families and talk about our day—no phones, no television, just conversation.

Sadly, this has become quite rare. In the average home, the evening meal is often shared with the television on and, more often than not, it’s the news.

Nowadays, mainstream media can’t always be trusted. It is often one-sided and doesn’t give us the full picture, only what those reporting the news want us to hear. That’s why it’s so important to fact-check information.

Much of what we are told is designed to create fear. Climate change, for example, is constantly in the headlines, and we are frequently told that our carbon footprints are to blame for damaging the planet.

As Christians, we know that God created the world perfectly and provided it with the resources needed to sustain life. We can trust in His provision, rather than living in fear. We are made to believe that we have a serious problem on our hands and we need to rescue Mother Nature. We read in Romans 1:25 where the creation is worshipped and not the creator himself.

As things seem to become crazier by the day, it’s time we truly leaned on God and His Word. If we are listening to negative news every day and not balancing it with what God has to say, we’ll begin to feel low, overwhelmed, and unable to cope. We may even turn to unhealthy snacks and habits as a form of escapism.

There has never been a more urgent time than now to gain knowledge and wisdom from the Bible. We need to discern what we hear and choose wisely what we watch on YouTube and other platforms.

In 1 John 4:1 and 1 Timothy 4:1 we are warned about false teachers. We should remember that not everything on social media can be trusted and always compare what we hear with what the Bible says.

Don’t listen to any preacher who claims to know when Jesus is coming back. Be cautious of those who try to set dates. As Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, “No one knows about that day or hour, except the Father.”

It’s time we armed ourselves with knowledge from the Scriptures. Keep focused on God, spend time in prayer and reading from a physical Bible, where you can take notes and highlight scriptures. By reading a physical Bible, you will get familiar with where the books are.

Talk to God every day, whenever and wherever you can, have a relationship with Him. Ask him to help you understand the Scriptures and to help you look after yourself as God wants you to. Watch how God strengthens you physically, mentally, and spititually. Notice how problems seem lighter when we put God first and spend time with Him.

So, as our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, let’s really start to look after them. Let’s make people around us see the difference Christ has made in us. Let the Holy Spirit shine through you, and your conversations bring hope to the lost.

Be mindful of what you are feeding yourself, both physically and spiritually, and be an example of Christ living in you.

Scriptures used in order

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1 Timothy 4:1 In later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

Matthew 24:36 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.