1 Corinthians 9:27 But i discipline my body and bring it into subjection,lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.
In my previous post I focused on renewing our minds to the Word of God, but I don’t want to neglect our body. After all it is one third of us, and the vessel that is needed to carry the soul (mind, will and emotions), as well as the Spirit, around while we live on the earth. Put simply, without it our spirit or our soul have no ability to impact the world around us for Christ.
Out of our three-part being of spirit, soul and body, the spirit is the part that should be the guiding factor in everything we do, say or think,but that just isn’t always the case. Often, we allow our feelings to control what we do with our bodies. When this happens, we are acting the same as the world does, when we are called to be different. Our spirit is having very little influence. Our emotions are powerful driving forces because it drives us to recreate pleasurable experiences, such as eating a particular favourite food, even if that food is not good for us. Our bodies seek the comfort that we used to get from that food and until a new pattern is created in our brains, the old influence could be too powerful. It is like we are in a battle between our carnal being and our spirit.
That is why the apostle Paul says that he disciplines his body. In the NLT the scripture reads, ‘I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.’
An athlete thinks only of the prize. Nothing else is more important than preparing themselves to win. I don’t believe that any serious athlete would overeat, eat unhealthily, or do anything else to their physical body that would hinder their chances of achieving their goal. We, too, have a goal, to play our part in the great commission. Being unhealthy could immobilise us, meaning that our mission, whatever it is that God has given us to fulfill on earth, is out of our reach. We must do everything we can to renew our minds to the Word of God, so that we can discipline our bodies. Prayer and fasting are ways that we can bring our earth suit under subjection to our spirits.
God’s will is written for us: ‘Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, just as your soul prospers.’ 3 John 1:2. So God wants us to prosper in our good health, but according to the prosperity of our soul.
There are other ways to enjoy life apart from overeating! Make a list now of some of the things you enjoy, like reading, listening to music, a bubble bath, a sport, learning something or dancing. Set about disciplining your body so that you will create new healthier patterns, and reap the benefits of it with better health, physically and mentally as well. Your new, disciplined body will be fit and able to fulfill God’s call on your life.
That is the greatest prize of all.
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