“We are part of His body”

Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.

Verse Reflections:  If we are part of God’s body, His flesh and His bones then our body is His body.  Are we taking care of God’s body, Our body?  Have we respected the holiness of God in the way that we treat our body?  Or are we instead stretching our stomach to capacity?  Are we giving our bodies the nutrition that supports cell growth and healthy or are we stuffing sugar and empty calories into our bodies?  Think about all the foods that have empty calories:  cakes, cookies, pasta, pizza, white bread, pastries, cereals… How many of these foods do we eat every day or every week?  Now imagine for a moment that God is truly a part of Your body and our bodies are intertwined.  Imagine that God puts His hands up and shakes His head each time You offer Him a food that does not benefit His body, His flesh, His bones.  “We are members of His body, of His flesh, of His bones.”  We are one.  That is the very definition of Christianity.  We become Christ like.  It does help me to think of God’s body being a part of my body.  Somehow, I can’t imagine God as overweight.  He is always lean and trim and healthy.  Think hard for a moment… what we are doing to our bodies with the extra weight?   Kevin Fontaine, PhD, assistant professor of rheumatology at Johns Hopkins University says that every ten pounds adds thirty to forty pounds of pressure on our joints.  This scares me.  Thirty extra pounds puts 100 pounds of pressure on my knees, my hips…100 extra pounds puts 300 extra pressure on your joints.   Now remember we are damaging God’s bones, and flesh and body as well.  This is sacrilegious on all counts.  It is not acceptable that we are doing this to ourselves, much less to God.  We have to take this seriously.  There is nothing anyone can say to us if we don’t decide that we have to make changes.  Eating healthy may not be easy but we need to grow up and do it anyway.  We are representing our Holy God.  We are merged with our Holy God.  Those of You who are parents, think of all that You have done for Your children to protect them, to ensure they are healthy.  Does Your God not deserve the same tender care?  Do you not deserve the same beautiful attention and sacrifice?  Why would you do more to protect your child than to protect Your Holy God?  Your body is His body.  Grow up and eat the foods He gave us.

Prayer:  Oh God I am humbled to think how many times I have dishonored Your body, our body.  I apologize with a shame that I cannot describe.  My tendency has been to think that the way I eat is my secret, my cross, my battle, my sacrifice on this earth.  I have not considered the pain that I am inflicting on You.  I knew You were not happy with my choices, but again, I felt like You had so many children with battles here on earth, I was one of many.  I downplayed the influence this had on You.  I have hurt Your body.  I have put 100 extra pounds of pressure on Your joints.  I have caused You to carry weight that You did not choose to carry.  Father, I am so sorry.  I am going to eat Your foods and work hard to change our flesh.  I have changed the chemistry of Your body with the empty calories that I inhale.  I have gorged on quantities of foods that should not be possible and then at times I have made myself sick so that the foods are flushed down the toilet.  A complete waste of money, food and a strain on our esophagus, pancreas and more.  Father, I am not worthy of being a part of Your flesh.  Heal me.  Allow me to welcome You as part of my body.  Allow me to want to claim our unity with pride.  I thank You for this verse.  I need to be reminded that my eating habits affect You.  Today, Father, I am going to reach for the foods that feed our body, our flesh and our bones with healthy foods that You have created.  Join me in my brain and heart as well.  Give me the desires of my heart and my head.  I love You.  Let’s join together to face this day as one.  Hallelujah.