By the time I hit post, it will be very close to 2017. I’m amazed, really, because I seldom stay up until midnight, but God and I have been talking.
I don’t do New Years Resolutions. To me, that’s too close to setting yourself up for failure. What I do, however, is ask God what He’d like me to focus on, and then I ask Him to help me stay focused. I have two main assignments this year. One of them is to take even better care of my body.
I’ve worked hard, in the past twelve months, to eat right and get at least some exercise every day. Many times I’ve intentionally cheated. Many times I’ve failed. Even so, I am healthier and stronger than I was in December of last year. In large part, this is due to the fact that I’ve been having to care so much for my husband, who’s had a very rough year. My reality is that if anything were to happen to me right this minute the two of us would be in serious trouble. This knowledge is a great motivator.
But he IS getting better, which means I will hopefully not always have that reminder, so I asked God to help me stay conscious of the necessity of a healthy lifestyle. Which brings me to tonight’s Bible reading. I prayed, “Give me this day my daily bread,” then turned to the next chapter in my daily reading; it “happens” to be 1 Cor. 6. The context here is sexual immorality, but truth is truth and God hit me with exactly the reminders I needed.
(13) …the body is…for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
(15) Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
(19) Or do you not know that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN? (emphasis mine)
(20) For you were bought at a price; therefore GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY and in your spirit, WHICH ARE GOD’S. (emphasis mine)
Ask and you shall receive. I have my reminders, scriptures I can come back to in the coming year any time I forget why I’m limiting sodas and pulling out the weights and trying to take 10,000 steps a day. With God’s help, next December 31st will see me even healthier, stronger, and more prepared to take on the challenges that come my way.
Happy New Year!
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C