SERIES! The Temple, P3: Your Soul Comes First

“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.” (Psalm 34:1-9, NIV)

The true key to real success in our health, work, schooling, relationships– you name it– is nurturing our souls by giving them over to our Savior each and everyday. This key verse challenges us and reveals to us that a person who meditates in Jesus daily will have a life removed from shame, sadness, and fears. When we submit to God, we find true purpose, clarity, and ultimate joy. This is the challenge we wake up to each and every morning. The way we face this challenge we have in our souls influences every other part of our life.

This series we’ve been doing has been focused on treating our bodies as the temples that they are and how to reach our health goals in a Godly mindset. The only way we find success in that battle is by focusing on our souls first before anything else. If we feel we find success in weight loss or healthy eating, but we haven’t invited God into our souls throughout the process, then we will still feel the same as we did at the beginning of the journey. Everything we do is a mental and spiritual journey, and we will only grow if we let God in throughout the process and let Him teach us.

There are a multitude of things we receive out of spending quality time with the Lord, but I want to highlight a few that will help us love our temple and truly love ourselves from the beginning to the end of your fitness and health journey.

One thing you will recieve when you spend time with the Lord is increased faith and trust in Him. Faith is more powerful than your inward thoughts and fears; and faith has the power to change your outlook on all that you encounter.

Mark 11:22-24 says, ‘“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.’ (NIV)

This is the type of faith we should aim to have: one that leads us to trust everything the Lord tells us. Spend time investing in your soul and He will restore you and your faith.

When we give the Lord our hearts, He gives us His wisdom. God’s wisdom makes the wisdom of even the smartest men look foolish. God’s wisdom can lead you peacefully wherever you go, because you know you have the smartest One in the room on your side. This wisdom will correct what you think of yourself, your life, and others.

Lastly, God wants to give you His joy. The joy of the Lord is something that is everlasting and never fleeting. It will never leave you, even in times of despair. The choice to take care of your temple and work out should not feel like a chore, it should feel like worship to the Lord!

God has so much to give you, and that’s even before you step foot into the gym. Having a positive self image and security in who we are is a daily battle, but with God he can lead us to love who we are more and more everyday.

I pray that this series has helped you find your way and showed you how to love yourself more as you make your way into a healthier lifestyle. It is especially hard to have a healthy mindset when looking to get in shape, and I pray that you have all found Godly mindsets and tips to bring into the gym with you through this series.

Dear God,
I pray that you have shaped our minds and thought to think of ourselves only as you think of us. I trust that you have a plan for each and everyone of our lives and I ask that you continue to remind us of that. Lord I pray that we find our refuge and strength in you always, never grabbing for the empty things of this world. We thank you for the beautiful, unique temple you have given us all. We know by you nothing we created by mistake, you are the artist of the universe and we love each and every dimple, line and freckle you have placed on our bodies. I pray we seek you everywhere we go.
In the Precious Name of Jesus, Amen