Your body is unique. You were created by God, and you are not an accident. Your heavenly Father chose the day and the time your life would begin.
Psalm 139:13-16 tells us, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (NIV).
God thought a lot about you. Every detail of your body, every cell and organ are God’s handiwork. There is a purpose for your body.
When you receive a revelation of the purpose of your body, you will no longer abuse it. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:19-20, NKJV).
Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and you are to glorify God in your body and in your spirit. As a child of God, your body is the home for the Holy Spirit and carries the message of the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ!
You must take care of the body God has given to you and bless your body. The devil wants you fat. He comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). One of the ways he accomplishes this is when you don’t take care of your body and you open the door for disease to bring death to your body.
You bless your body by feeding it with nutrients that give you energy and fortify your health. Learning how God designed your body and how you are to care for your body is not bondage. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” I believe this means in both the natural and spiritual realms. Second Peter 1:3 says, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” Through knowledge, we will learn how God created us and how to take care of our body.
I had never studied how my body was created or about nutrition, so I really didn’t know what was good for my body. I went by taste and how it looked. If it looked good, I ate it.
Gradually we build up habits, addictions and cravings. I truly believe that the only way to break this bondage is with the help of our Helper, the Holy Spirit. In my book, Why Diets Don’t Work, I share my testimony of how God got my attention and redirected my walk, which I am still walking out.
After losing 80 pounds, I know that I have been delivered from food addictions, which produce the cravings that constantly beg for attention.
Learning and gaining knowledge is what has made the difference. Getting a revelation of the purpose of my body gave me the strength and courage to say, “No, I will not abuse by body. I’m taking back the temple!”
If you are serious about overcoming your food habits, then it is important to identify the place of power you’ve given food in your life.
Most of us understand that the next “magic gimmick” for weight loss will not work. We have been willing to spend hundreds of dollars and still fail to keep the weight off, making the world richer and staying frustrated in our personal lives.
Lasting change comes from the inside out. Weight problems are a symptom of an ailing and stressed lifestyle. The good news is that you don’t have to fall asleep on the couch at night in a food coma. You have a choice; you can be set free from the life traps of poor eating, stress and a lack of sleep.
New beliefs, new thoughts, new feelings and new behavior will produce lasting changes! Make a decision today to bless your body with good nutrition and enjoy the fruit of the Spirit working in your life.
“‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything” (1 Cor. 6:12, ESV).
Joyce Tilney is the founder of Women of God Ministries, teaching women today from women of yesterday. She is author of the book Why Diets Don’t Work: Food Is Not the Problem. For a free 30-day devotional and inspiration for better health and spiritual growth visit her websites, www.whydiets.com and www.wogministries.com.
Abby Trivett 
James Lasher 
Charisma Staff