THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERMISSION AND APPROVAL
TODAY’S PRAYER
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.
1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
The concept of discipline for our bodies is a tough topic for a lot of people. Many people seem to believe that because we are under grace and not the law, we can do whatever we want, and God will just forgive us. But I believe scripture teaches there is a difference between permission and approval.
God has given us a free-will and grace gives us permission to exercise our free-will. But that doesn’t mean God approves of all the choices we make with our free-will.
This is very true when it comes to how we handle issues related to our bodies. The teaching of scripture is that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. As such we should be careful we discipline our bodies so that the body does not become a stumbling block in our spiritual growth.
Personally, I believe it is my responsibility to be sure to eat right, get proper sleep, and regular exercise so that my body does not distract me from the work God has for me. While I am not perfect, I try to be careful not to allow my fleshly appetite to control my behavior. Through exercise I discipline my body.
There was a time when I was a slave to Dr. Pepper. I had to have a Dr. Pepper to start my day and multiple more throughout my day. I realized I had become a slave to Dr. Pepper. The last time I took a sip of Dr. Pepper it tasted like pure sugar to me and was repulsive. It is hard to believe I used to pour that into my body multiple times a day.
God has given me one body. I am responsible for this body. While I believe God is my Jehovah Rapha and can and will heal my body. Why would God continually bring healing to my body when I am abusing it and causing the sickness?
I believe having a healthy body is a partnership between me and God. I do my part by my eating, sleeping, and exercise. Then I trust God to work to keep things flowing properly.
These same principles apply to anything I put into my body. Is there anything you are doing that can hinder the long-term health of your physical body? If so, confess that to God, ask forgiveness, and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to change that behavior.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit thank you for the body You have given me. Help me to be a good steward of this body. Help me to see what I need to do to best protect this body.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”
Lord I’ll never take for granted my health .
Lord thank You for the body You have given me. Help me to make good choices to keep it healthy an fluroushing.