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; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.  – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I foolishly assumed my goal was met and I was done for the day.  But as I crashed into bed, dizzy from barefoot circles around my room, I conceded.  Once again, the app won.  10,782 steps and 49 active minutes just wasn’t enough. The lure of bumping it to an even 11,000 was overpowering.

The next morning I sautéed extra vegetables with my scrambled eggs to ensure my nutrient pie chart displayed a large slice of fiber and protein.  

With each bite and burst of exercise throughout the day, I checked my app.  How close was I to reaching 10,000 steps?  Did it catch the 22 minute dog walk? Were my nutrients precisely balanced?

The entire process became an obsession.  Graphs on the screen meant more than feedback from my own body.  My brain focused more on what I should consume at each meal than God’s daily plan for me.

Paul calls us in 1 Corinthians 6:20 to honor our bodies.  Often, this is the beginning inspiration of health, and rightfully so.  If the Holy Spirit lives inside us, of course we want to take care of its home!  

When healthy living becomes living to track health

Sometimes, though, our focus can slowly morph from “healthy living” to “living to track health.”  It’s easy to go overboard.  But God doesn’t call us to be perfect eaters and exercisers…or in any way.  What He does ask for is our heart — to love Him and others.  It’s our responsibility to ensure our body, our temple of the Holy Spirit, is fit for this.  He’s not requesting we have six-pack abs. Thank goodness!     

Taking care of our temple does require attention.  We must provide it nutritious foods and exercise for endurance and strength.  Fitness trackers and apps are helpful tools to establish our trajectory. However, we must be careful they remain tools, and not treasures.   

Let’s make sure we are worshipping our one true God, and not our fitness app.  

How do we keep the focus on God?

• Prayerfully begin each day.
  
• Invite God along by spending your workout talking to Him or praising Him in song.
  
• Ask Him for feedback on the state of your heart.
  
• Allow the perfect machine He created, your body, to overrule the machine in your hand when necessary.
  

A health journey is not a unique road we take separately from our spiritual trek.  

Wrong turns, backtracking and cracked potholes are encountered in both.  

Thankfully, we have the grace of Christ to get back on our main road.   And when we feel that small whisper to serve others in an unexpected way, we know our bodies, our mind, and our hearts are ready for the task.

Stronger in all areas, we can answer Him with an energetic “YES!”