May 28, 2024
"Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually."
- 1st Corinthians 12:27
The leading verse teaches us that we believers, are the body of Christ. It uses the analogy of the human body, which is made up of different parts, to point out the unique yet interdependent relationships each distinct body part has with the others. “If the foot says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not a hand,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? If the ear says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not an eye,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, what would happen to the hearing? And if the whole body were an ear, what would happen to the sense of smell?” 1st Corinthians 15-17.
Health Practitioners advise us to take care of our bodies. They recommend adopting healthy lifestyle habits that include exercise, healthy eating and good sleep hygiene. The reason they say this is not farfetched…it is to keep our bodies healthy!
Another thing that health practitioners recommend is having regular medical checkups. This makes it easier to identify conditions within the body that are do not show symptoms initially. Through these checkups, such conditions can be caught early thus increasing the chances of successful treatment.
As there are these recommendations and their benefits from health practitioners for the human body to keep it healthy, there are also recommendations from the Health Practitioner of the body of Christ to keep His body healthy spiritually.
Just as we are encouraged to exercise daily, our Health Practitioner recommends that we delightfully spend time studying and meditating on the word of God during the day and in the night (Joshua 1:8). Being physically fit is the benefit of at least 30 minutes exercise every day. The fitness equivalent of meditating on the word of God day and night is being like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit in season, whose leaves do not wither and is successful in whatever is done (Psalm 1:2-3).
Praying without ceasing (1st Thessalonians 5:17-18) is another recommendation from our Health Practitioner as is Fasting (Matthew 6:16), lifting up holy hands (1st Timothy 2:8), praising and thanking God (Psalm 100:4), and so on.
For regular checkups, our Health Practitioner recommends not to forsake the gathering of the brethren (Hebrews 10:25). By attending prayer meetings, group Bible study sessions, regular and midweek services, we spend time collectively with our Practitioner, Who reveals the status of our spiritual vital signs, diagnoses our conditions, symptoms or not, and prescribes what we need to restore our spiritual health.
Song of Worship
Lord I give you my heart
I give you my soul
I live for You alone
Every breath that I take, every moment I'm awake
Lord have your way in me.
Prayer - Dear Lord, give me the grace to treat the Body of Christ to which I belong, with deep the same level of importance I attach to looking after my own body. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bible in 1 year: 2 Chronicles 4-6