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| Too bad God didn't give our bodies wings. |
The world
says, "Your body is your body. It's
nobody's business what you do with it or what you put in it." These ideas will touch your family through
both television ads and shows, kids on the playground, and even conversations between
adults your children overhear.
What does
the Bible say?
I Corinthians 6:19, 20—"Do
you not know that your body is temple 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 body."
Romans 12:1-2—"Therefore,
I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of
worship."
Nothing is
truly our own. Everything is borrowed—even
time, in a way. This includes our
bodies. Despite people's often careless
attitude about caring for our gifts from heaven, God has given mankind direct
stewardship over one of His greatest creations:
the human body. We can express
our appreciation by wisely caring for it.
This is especially true for the Christian.
Your Turn: What can you do to teach your children
this? Fit it into regular routines and
conversation, such as:
"It's
good we have so many good tasting fruits and vegetables. They are just what our bodies need to be
healthy and grow. Taking good care of
our bodies is one way to thank God for giving them to us."
"Sweet
snacks are fine to eat sometimes, but eating a lot of them is not good for our
bodies. If you are still hungry, let's
get something that will be just your body needs. There are plenty of foods that are good for
us and fun to eat. Let's find some."
With pre-teens
and teenagers, conversations about the using—or not using—stimulants (such as nicotine), alcohol, or recreational
drugs should definitely include honoring God by respecting the bodies He has
given us and how the use of those items would not be good stewardship. Even though you probably realize that you can
never keep this train of thought (I can
do whatever I want with my body.) from touching your family at all, you may
not realize just how difficult it will be to have your children embrace the
truth in the verses above. Why? Because as adults, we still try to ignore the
fact that we are only stewards of our bodies, not the owners.
If you would like
more ideas on helping your children (and yourself) develop a Biblical worldview
or to find out how to win a Wal-Mart gift card, go to the 31
Days Giveaway (Intro. Part II) post for more Touching Families blog
links. If you want to check out other 31 Days' topics, see The Nester.
Good point. I never thought of this as a reason to eat healthy before.
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