Many people use this Scripture to preach things like good care of the physical body or abstinence from substances that might harm the body. If you believe that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit and that you should honor God by caring for it — or if you just want to treat your body as a temple as a way to support longevity and an active life — we have some tips for you.
First, let's make it clear that it's your body and, if you're a person of faith, your relationship with God. How you honor him by caring for the physical resources he provided you — including your body — is a personal choice you should make after reading the Bible, praying and seeking God's will in your life.
That being said, there are some common-sense, actionable ways anyone can treat their body as a temple by caring for it. Here are five you might consider implementing in your life.
The original Temple in the Old Testament was built to house the spirit of God among his people. As holy ground, the Temple came with a lot of rules. Only certain things and people could enter, and they often had to be prepared in specific ways first.
If you want to care well for the temple of your body, you may need to consider what you're putting into it. Food and drink are designed to be enjoyed in moderation and to fuel your body so you can live the life God wants for you. Making good decisions about nutrition can help.
You might consider:
Talk to a dietician or your doctor about your nutritional needs and ways you can better meet them.
Once you fuel your body, consider how you can put it to work. Moving regularly helps you maintain strength, balance and mobility. It also helps ensure your body is able to do good work when God calls you to it.
Moving your body with purpose is a personal endeavor, so experiment to find what works for you. Walking for 20 minutes every day, taking part in senior exercise classes or having a personal dance party each morning are all examples of movement that can help your body. You can also engage in fun social activities, such as axe throwing, to better care for your body through movement.
Take time for well checks with your physician and important scans and tests, such as mammograms or colonoscopies. If necessary, invest in home modifications for safety, such as grab bars in your bathroom. By being proactive and preventive about your health, you care for your body and help support its long-lasting use.
Treating your body as a temple means taking time to metaphorically open the windows, let the breeze blow through and air everything out. Except with a human body rather than a building, that "airing out" typically involves getting good quality rest.
Be mindful of your body's limitations. Pushing past the pain, for example, isn't necessarily a good way to manage your temple. Instead, schedule breaks during activities if you need or plan for daily power naps to better energize yourself for afternoon and evening activities.
Consider how you can enhance the quality of your sleep. You might work on developing a more consistent sleep schedule, invest in better bedding or stop drinking caffeine after 1 p.m., for example.
Don't forget to address your mind and mental health while maintaining the temple of your body. Consider how you can address stresses and anxieties. You might engage in prayer and meditation, make an appointment with a counselor or work on incorporating activities you enjoy into your schedule.
If you find that you need help treating your body as a temple and caring for it well, you might consider a move into senior living. The assisted living community at The Gardens at Barry Road in Kansas City, MO, offers tailored services to help each resident live a healthy, active life.
