As Christians, we believe our bodies are the Temples of the Holy Spirit. If that’s so, many of us certainly do not take care of God’s Temples.

I’ll never forget while pumping gas a few years ago, I noticed a lady at the opposite pump with a few Christian bumper stickers on her car. “You must be a Christian,” I said.

While smoking a cigarette and smiling she said, “Yes, sir.”

“If it’s a fact that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, why are you choking it?” I asked jokingly.

She just laughed and said, “I know I have to quit.” 

The same could be said for Christians who are obese. They are concerned about their weight, want to slim down, but do nothing to correct the problem.

Recently, I read the following seven principles for dealing with a weight problem in a daily devotional titled The Word for you Today:

Realize your body is not your own. It is the Temple of the Holy Spirit and you should glorify God in your body.

Keep a food journal to determine how much you’re eating.

Listen to the concerns of your loved ones.

Check your weight against the standard weight charts. (I need to lose 18 pounds.)

Instead of going on repeated diets, write down the foods you will and will not eat.

Avoid fat-phobic people with a judgmental attitude toward those who are overweight.

Stay the course. You may have several ups and downs, but with determination and God’s help, you can get on the road to freedom.

The bottom line is — be good to yourself. Don’t abuse your body and that will glorify God.

I wrote this article which is intended for me as much as anyone else.

If you have any questions, or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call (985) 652-8477, or e-mail: hkeller@comcast.net.