Our Mistress of Ceremonies for the Five Minute Friday is Kate over at Heading Home. Hope you link up with us and join the fun.
Present: a thing presented as a gift.
GO!
Amongst the books I'm currently reading is a devotional called The Dieter's Prayer Book by Heather Kopp. (I'll review it when I finish it). So far it's pretty good, however, one of the readings is bothering me and this word prompt just happens to go right along with what I'm thinking.
The author asserts that our health isn't really on God's mind. She says, "In most cases our spiritual commitments in other areas of life should be far more important than our quest for a healthy body."
Wrong.
III John 1:2 says - "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
You see, we carry our spirits and souls in our body. The Bible says that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19). It houses all the "want to." But the "getting it done" is carried out by the body. In other words, I can be a spiritual giant who's capable of grand exploits on the inside, but if my body is weak and sick, I can't carry out the good works that God has ordained for me (Ephesians 2:10). The Bible also says in Romans 11:29 that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance . However, who's going to open a gift if it's housed in an ugly box? Yes, the gifts on the inside are very important, but the wrapping needs to be appealing as well.
STOP!
My friend and I call this the burning building test. Basically, if a person were walking down the street and had the opportunity to rescue someone from a burning building, but was in too poor health to do so, they have missed an opportunity to do good and further the kingdom. Obviously, this is an extreme example, and I would never blame someone for not running into a burning building, but the exaggeration is what makes the idea powerful. In real life it might be:
ReplyDelete-- If I am too out of shape to walk for an hour, how can I watch my friend's kids at the park?
-- If I am always getting colds because I don't strengthen my immune system, I am a high risk for the elderly.
-- If I regularly have to buy new clothes because my weight fluctuates so much, how much money have I kept away from the poor?
Just some thoughts; I'll get off my soap box now. =)
Amie, FMF #13
Exactly.
Delete