Health Care

Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.

3 JOHN 1:2

MARSHMALLOWS, PIE, gummy worms, French fries, chocolate milk shakes, candy bars, and pop . . . Does your tummy hurt yet?

If you ate this kind of food all day, every day, you wouldn’t be very healthy. And what if you only sat on your rear end watching TV and playing video games? Your poor body would start to get unhealthy pretty quickly.

We’re tempted every day to eat food that isn’t good for us and to avoid getting up and moving. But there’s a saying: “Use it or lose it.” If you don’t use your muscles, you’ll lose them. God built our bodies, and he wants us to take care of them. That includes eating healthful food, getting exercise every day, and not putting bad things into our bodies. It includes washing our hands often enough to avoid getting germs that make us sick. And it includes exercising our brains by learning new things. We also exercise our hearts by spending time talking to God every day.

You’re the whole package! God created you for a special purpose, but to fulfill your part in that, you have to take care of your body so you’re healthy and able to follow God’s call. So take steps every day to care for your body. Make good food and media choices. And move! Find ways to stay active and also stay in touch with God throughout the day. Your body, heart, and mind will thank you for it!

DO

Draw a simple picture of your body. In your hand, draw one healthy thing you like to eat. In your head, draw one thing you like to study or read about. In your heart, draw one thing you like to talk to God about. Over your legs, draw one way you like to get up and exercise. Post your picture where you’ll see it every day.

PRAY

Dear God,

Thank you for giving me my body and mind. Please guide me to make good, healthy choices every day, and remind me to focus on taking care of my body, mind, and heart. Amen.

READ

1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:31