Being Healthy to Serve God

As we arrive at the fourth and final pillar in our “Four Pillars of a God-Centered Life” series, we come to a truth that is often overlooked in discussions of spiritual living, yet it is one of great significance: being healthy in order to serve God. Over the past several weeks, we have reflected on the importance of keeping God as our focus, nurturing our families with love and faith, and simplifying our lives to make space for what matters most. Each of these pillars has helped us realign our lives with God’s purpose. Now we turn to the vessel through which all ministry, service, and worship is carried out—our physical bodies.

Scripture teaches us that our bodies are not our own. They are temples of the Holy Spirit, purchased with the precious blood of Christ. As the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” These verses are not simply about avoiding sin—they are a call to sacred stewardship. Our health—physical, mental, and emotional—plays a vital role in our ability to walk in obedience, to lead our families, to love our neighbors, and to serve God with energy and joy.

This message is not about worldly fitness or appearance. It is about faithful readiness. It is about recognizing that when we neglect our health, we may also limit our ability to carry out the good works God has prepared for us. Let us now explore what it means to live a life that honors the Lord through our bodies, and how we may be strengthened—not for self—but for the glory of God and the service of His Kingdom.

The body, though physical and temporal, plays a sacred role in the believer’s spiritual life. It is the vessel through which we speak words of encouragement, extend hands of compassion, and walk the paths of obedience that God has set before us. Our bodies are not incidental to our faith—they are instruments of worship and service. As such, they must not be neglected or abused, but rather cared for with the reverence due to something entrusted by God for His divine purposes.

In Romans 12:1, Paul makes this appeal: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” This offering is not symbolic—it is practical. It involves how we treat our physical selves, how we rest, how we nourish, and how we preserve the strength God has given us so that we might be useful in His Kingdom.

Even the simplest acts—cooking a meal for a neighbor, teaching a child, standing in worship, or going where God sends us—require the cooperation of the body. When we neglect our health, we limit not only our comfort but also our capacity to serve. Our physical vitality, when rightly stewarded, becomes a tool for ministry. And in honoring our bodies, we honor the Lord who designed them and dwells within them through His Spirit.

It is a truth we must confront with both humility and hope: when we neglect our health—whether through inaction, poor habits, or the relentless busyness of life—we often limit the very vessel God has entrusted to us for His service. A weary, burdened, or broken-down body can hinder the joyful execution of ministry. Fatigue steals energy meant for compassion. Poor choices weaken the strength needed for obedience. And unresolved stress clouds the clarity of God's calling.

We do not speak of perfection, nor do we speak with condemnation. Rather, we speak with the understanding that a healthy body is a gift that equips us to love, serve, and glorify God more fully. When we care for our health in the spirit of stewardship, we are not chasing vanity—we are choosing vitality for the sake of God’s Kingdom.

The importance of this truth becomes even clearer when we look to the example of our Lord in John 2:13–17. Upon entering the temple courts, Jesus found them filled not with reverence, but with distraction—money changers, merchants, and exploitation. In righteous indignation, He cleansed the temple, declaring, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” He was not just restoring order—He was reestablishing sacred purpose.

In much the same way, our bodies—temples of the Holy Spirit—can become cluttered and misused. We may fill them with unhealthy habits, neglect, stress, or indulgence. Yet the Spirit of Christ calls us to cleanse and restore this sacred space—not with violence, but with discipline, repentance, and reverence. We are invited to reclaim our bodies for the purpose for which they were created: to be vessels of worship and instruments of holy service.

Let us be willing to examine our lives, to cast out what distracts and defiles, and to rededicate these earthly temples to the glory of the One who bought us at a price.

When we embrace a simplified life—as we explored in the previous message—we open our hearts and homes to the gentle order of God’s design. That same simplification, when applied to our health, allows us to steward our physical well-being with greater clarity and intention. Simplicity is not merely about having less—it is about living with purpose. And that purpose includes caring for the body God has entrusted to us.

When our lives are overfilled with commitments, stress, and distractions, our health often suffers. Meals are rushed or skipped. Rest becomes secondary. Exercise is postponed. We push our limits until fatigue becomes familiar and illness is quietly accepted. But when we simplify, we reclaim time for things that nourish—not just the soul, but also the body. We are better able to eat mindfully, rest intentionally, and move regularly—all acts that support our ability to serve with strength and joy.

As with every other area of our lives, health is a matter of stewardship. We are called to manage our time, our resources, and our relationships for God's glory. Our bodies are no different. They are not to be neglected, nor idolized, but cared for in a way that reflects gratitude to our Creator. Just as simplifying our possessions helped my wife and me refocus on what truly mattered, attending to our health becomes an act of honoring the Lord—giving Him our best, so that we may be fully present, ready, and able to do His will.

In this way, the third and fourth pillars stand side by side. A simplified life prepares the way for faithful stewardship of the body. And a healthy body, in turn, supports a more focused, fruitful, and God-honoring life.

When we speak of honoring God with our bodies, we are not merely discussing wellness—we are bearing witness to our faith. Every act of care we extend toward our health becomes a quiet testimony that we believe our lives are not our own, but belong fully to the One who redeemed us. Stewarding our physical health with diligence and humility proclaims to the world, “My body is a vessel of worship, a tool for service, and a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.”

This testimony is most powerful when it is lived out in the everyday—when we choose to rest instead of overextend, to eat with wisdom instead of indulgence, to move in strength instead of remain idle, and to approach each day not with self-centered goals, but with a desire to be ready for whatever God may call us to do. In this way, caring for our bodies becomes an extension of discipleship.

It is not about perfection, nor is it about appearance. It is about readiness. A healthy body allows us to minister without hesitation, to serve without fatigue becoming a constant obstacle, and to be present for our families and our fellow believers in meaningful, lasting ways. It means we are able to pray longer, stand stronger, endure more, and love better. Even in times of sickness or physical limitation, our willingness to honor God through how we care for ourselves can be a beacon of hope and a model of faithfulness.

In a world that often seeks health for self-glory, we seek it for God's glory. That is the difference. That is the witness. Our bodies, though temporary, are sacred. When we care for them in reverence and gratitude, we show the world that we serve a living God who is worthy of every part of our lives—even our physical strength.

As we bring this series to its final message, I pray that these four pillars—keeping God as your focus, nurturing the family, simplifying life, and being healthy to serve—have not only spoken to your heart, but have also offered practical direction for your walk with Christ. Though today’s message marks the end of this particular series, it is by no means the end of the journey. In truth, it is the beginning of a renewed way of life, built upon the firm foundation of God’s truth, love, and purpose.

In the weeks ahead, I will be prayerfully seeking how the Lord might lead us to build further upon these truths—perhaps through expanded messages, devotionals, or even a published work that gathers the fullness of these teachings into one unified volume. However the Lord leads, my prayer is that you will continue walking forward, applying these pillars not as distant ideals, but as daily, Spirit-led practices.

The strength of a God-centered life is not measured in grand moments, but in quiet obedience—day by day, choice by choice, step by step. May you be encouraged to live that kind of life, shaped by God’s Word and sustained by His grace.

Beloved, as we close this message and complete our journey through the Four Pillars of a God-Centered Life, I urge you to prayerfully consider the stewardship of your body as an offering to the Lord. Just as we are called to honor Him with our hearts, our time, and our resources, so too are we called to honor Him with our physical selves. This is not a call to vanity or self-reliance, but a call to readiness—to be fully present and able to serve God with joy, strength, and endurance.

Ask yourself today: Am I honoring God with the way I care for the body He has entrusted to me? Are there habits, patterns, or neglect that hinder my ability to serve Him and others? What one step can I take this week to restore this temple and prepare it for His service?

Perhaps it is getting more rest, taking a walk, preparing a healthier meal, setting boundaries that protect your peace, or seeking medical or emotional help where needed. Whatever that step may be, let it be an act of worship. Let it be a declaration that your body belongs to God, and that you desire to be a faithful steward of every part of your life.

Let us not wait until our strength is gone to offer ourselves to the Lord. Let us offer our best today. And in doing so, may our lives be a living sacrifice—holy, pleasing, and wholly devoted to His glory.

As we conclude this message and bring the Four Pillars of a God-Centered Life to a close, let us do so with the sobering and empowering reminder found in 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 8 (NIV):

“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober... putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”

These words remind us to live alert, intentional, and prepared—not only spiritually, but also physically and emotionally. A God-centered life is not a passive existence. It is a deliberate, daily commitment to walk in the light of His Word, to guard the sacred gifts we’ve been given, and to use every part of our lives—including our health—for the glory of the One who has redeemed us.

You are not your own. You were bought with a price. Therefore, let your whole life—heart, soul, mind, and body—be a testimony of gratitude and reverence.

May the Lord strengthen your faith and use it for His glory, as you walk humbly in His presence.