Faithful Stewardship

“Your body is a temple…Therefore honor God with your body.”  (1 Corinthians 6:19).  This specific verse addresses sexual immorality, which is extremely important.  However, there are many ways one dishonors God when it comes to the physical body.

Consider this: If your body is a gift from God, wouldn’t you deem it prudent to treat your body as though it is a gift? 

Stay pure, eat healthy, and exercise.  Over indulgence in anything is bad, but neglect is also bad.  Obesity is a major concern for many young Americans, and the habits formed to cause obesity are learned or developed.  Sexual immorality is commonplace for many young kids, and glamorized on TV.  Physical activity for youth and adults has become less and less common.

There is one simple principal we want to communicate: your body is a gift from God.  To be a good steward of your body, be specific about how you eat, spend your time, and interact with others. 

Here are a few practical ways you can apply this principle in your life:

• You don’t have to eat all the food on your plate, no matter what your mom says.  Eat until you are satisfied.  This is difficult to practice, but it makes a huge difference in your diet and caloric intake.
• It is more worth your while to walk 30-45 minutes 5 days a week, than to have a gym membership that gets used consistently for 2 weeks before summer and then not used again for 3-4 months.
• Don’t have sex until you are married.

If you struggle with eating healthy, exercising, or sexual purity do not fret.  Yield to God and be obedient to His word.  He will always provide strength to those who desire to please Him.  That which is difficult at first becomes less difficult with practice.  You will not become a good steward of anything without specific effort.

We believe there are six areas of our lives to which the principle of STEWARDSHIP applies.  Today the focus is on the soul/spirit.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Mind, body, and soul?”  It is interesting that many people who use this phrase have no belief in God or an afterlife.  Or, maybe they do, but at best they are indifferent regarding spirituality.  The above statement is usually made in the context of motivating others.  For example:  to accomplish a major feat, “…it will take your mind, body, and soul.”  Why is a reference to the soul included in this group?

Definition:

Soul/Spirit:  The principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.

How are we to be good stewards of our souls?  This is an interesting question and one we should consider, since it is monumental to our lives here on earth.  We know that a balanced diet and exercise is good for our physical bodies, but what about our souls?  If we are good stewards of our souls, the ramifications are significant. 

There are many ways to build and strengthen your soul:  Read the Bible, create a quiet time to listen to the still and subtle whisper of God’s Spirit – and His calling on your life, seek God’s Word through a pastor or mentor, and/or be obedient to the nudging of your spirit as it coincides with God’s instruction.

God promises He will meet our every need.  However, in return He asks for our obedience.  To be obedient, though, our spirit must be in tune with His instruction.  The only way to accomplish this is to feed the spirit.  So, when you strengthen your spirit, you directly build your relationship with Christ.  And, with Christ all things are possible!

Seek to get in tune with your spirit and build your relationship with Christ – it is essential for your worldly and eternal freedoms.