“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself…”
1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT
When Katey died, I was shocked to discover I weighed in at 18 stone, or 252 pounds. Massively overweight, my weight gain reflected my loss of interest in both life and myself. If truth be told, I was as happy dying as in living and going on. These were not suicidal thoughts, just emotional and psychological tiredness.
As the median age in the UK rises year on year (it was 40 in 2014), so do the challenges associated with ageing. One of these is the failure of people struggling with the ageing process, or perhaps more especially with the hand they feel life has dealt them, to maintain physical health. I’m not speaking of the ravages of unanticipated disease; I’m speaking of my own weight problem. I’d failed to take responsibility for maintaining a healthy body, and contracted my health to the NHS and health professionals. It was their responsibility to keep me well. This is appalling stewardship.
I have never enjoyed exercise as an adult. I adopted a phrase a friend once gave me as my mantra, ‘no pain, no pain’. It raised a laugh and diverted attention away from physical exercise. Yet, as I became overweight, what was I revealing about my respect for this temple of the Holy Spirit which was my body? We blindly arrive at situations where we are faced with type 2 diabetes and other weight-related sicknesses that we might equally avoid.
As I work with those approaching and entering into retirement, one issue that is often left unaddressed is physical health and stewardship. It’s all very well to organise finances to ensure the regular golf rounds, yet this is not going to address the physical changes ageing brings. I need to recognise that a good steward would identify the effects of the ageing process and establish a programme to maintain good physical health.
QUESTION
How are you caring for the only body you will have in this world?
PRAYER
Lord, help me in as far as I am able to honour you in the way that I care for the body you gave me
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