We might think of our bodies as tents: temporary measures that wear out quickly. But the Bible calls it a Temple. Your body does a lot for you. When your mind and spirit are over-worked, your body tells you to eat and sleep, making sure you don’t burn out. Making sure you can keep going. And it does the whole breathing thing without even being asked. Long story clichéd: your body is a gift. One of the best gifts we ever receive, not least because God is the giver. And it’s a gift we’re sometimes guilty of being ungrateful for. How many times do we wish our body were harder/better/faster/stronger? We forget that the embarrassing belly-rumble in a quiet room is ensuring that we fuel ourselves, so that we have the energy to do the amazing things we’re capable of. It’s not often we thank God for a body at all – let alone our own body (the one about which we have countless complaints). But why not?
Rather than forgetting to look after the bodies we’ve been given, by not giving them enough rest, or the right kind of nourishment, let’s look after them and thank Him for them. Maybe you hate your thighs; thank God that you can dad-dance with them. It’s the mouth He gave to you that lets you talk and sing, the eyes that He designed that enable you to read and see beauty. He designed your body incredibly. Absolutely incredibly. So look after it as best you can.

What Now?
Whenever you catch yourself criticising your body today, think of a reason you’re thankful for it instead. Do it tomorrow too.