Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! [Psalm 139:13-14 (MSG)]

When one gets to a certain age, a frequent sentiment heard at birthday celebrations (especially those landmark ones) is, “It’s all downhill from here.” Age, however, is certainly no excuse to stop caring for our bodies. We may not be getting any younger, but we can get better or, at least, no worse. That is, most, but not all of us, can. A woman suffering from Parkinson’s pointed out that, “It’s not easy waking every day and knowing this is the very best I’ll ever be!” Her words resonated in my heart. I thought of my friends and family who’ve had progressive diseases like Parkinson’s, MS, Alzheimer’s, and ALS. Sure, there are things that can be done to slow down the progression of their diseases but nothing, short of a miracle, is ever going to return them to health.

The woman’s words came to mind recently while taking photos before church. One overweight man said, “Wait” and hid the doughnut behind his back before turning to the camera and smiling. “I’m supposed to be on a diet,” he added as explanation. He wanted no record of his misstep, ignoring the fact his arteries and blood sugar would know, whether or not his wife ever did. What’s so bad about a doughnut? For many, they can be an occasional treat but for others, like this man, a diabetic who’s had several heart attacks and is a regular guest in the cardiac care unit, that doughnut is a major offense against his already badly damaged body. Unlike this man, I suspect that woman with Parkinson’s wouldn’t ignore any medical advice that could improve her life. She knows how precious it is.

We are amazingly and wonderfully made and, for most of us, it doesn’t have to be all downhill from here. Paul tells us our bodies are a sacred place: the temple of the Holy Spirit. It’s not just our souls that belong to God; our bodies do, too; He paid a high price for us, body and soul. While we wouldn’t damage or vandalize our churches, we tend to be much more cavalier and negligent with our bodies. We must care for God’s dwelling place as much as we would His church!

Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body. [1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (MSG)]