Week 5 – Day 1 MY HOUSE
Focus: Taking care of your body honors God
Scripture: Prayerfully read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. Ask the Father what you need to do to take better care of your body.
THE PHYSICAL ATTACK OF STRESS
Eight a.m. already feels like afternoon to Janet! Before leaving for work at 6:30 a.m., she washed a load of clothes and got things ready to cook dinner for her family that evening.
Now at work, the list of things she needs to accomplish seems endless. Just thinking about the day ahead makes her exhausted. She can’t imagine how she will accomplish everything that needs to be done before the end of the week.
Lately Janet’s been plagued by physical problems. Her exhausted body cries out through headaches, backaches, and should and neck tension, not to mention sheer depletion. Her family has noticed that she’s not taking care of herself and has encouraged her to get some rest and relaxation. That sounds like good advice, but Janet feels there’s simply no time to take care of her physical needs in her hectic schedule.
To what degree do you identify with Janet? Mark the continuum below.
1 -----------------------------------------------2---------------------------------------------------3
Not at all somewhat right on!
Below are physical problems many women have noticed during hectic and fast-paced days. Circle the ones you’ve experienced.
Stomach cramps muscle twitches
Headaches blurred vision
Shortness of breath shakiness
Fatigue unexplained rash
Neck pain Jaw pain
Racing pulse other ___________________
GOD’s TEMPLE
First Corinthians 6:19 says, “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit”. As I grasp that really it becomes my personal goal to take care of my body. I love God, I love His Holy Spirit. I can honor Him by taking care of “His earthly house”: my body.
Can you identify with any of the following? Check all that apply
o Not getting enough sleep
o Rarely exercising
o Eating too much
o Not taking time to relax
o Not eating a balanced diet
Are any of these areas contributing to your frazzledness? If so, circle them.
It was all Libby could do to keep up with the demands at work and manage her household. Because of her busy lifestyle, she viewed an exercise program as a luxury. She hardly had enough energy to fix an evening meal, let alone exercise after a hard day at work. Already she was missing sleep by staying up late to take care of things around the house.
During lunch break Libby usually grabbed fast food while she was running errands. Sometimes she stopped at these same fast-food restaurants after work to buy supper for her family. She often resented some women seemed to have time to exercise regularly and fix nutritious meals for their families. Those women weren’t as busy as she was! Libby felt that she didn’t have time to eat right, exercise and get enough rest.
Do you believe God wants you to take care of your body? Yes, No or I’ve never thought about it.
In which of the following areas do you need to set goals that will help you better care for yourself physically?
o Eating
o Sleeping
o Exercising
o Resting
Ignoring any one of these areas can make you tense, irritable and unable to tackle even little things. The longer these areas go unattended, the more your body, your emotions, and your mind will suffer.
Remember 1 Corinthians 6:20? “Glorify God in your body.” That’s not a suggestion from Him for when you have time: it’s a command straight from Scripture to take care of your physical house! Women who exercise regularly, eat nutritiously, and get enough sleep are better equipped to deal with stress on a daily basis.
This week we will continue to explore the need to take care of the spiritual house. I pray that you will approach these days with a teachable spirit., asking God to show you ways you can take better care of yourself.
What is God revealing to you through today’s study?
As you close today’s study, start your prayer time with this prayer.
Dear Father, I confess that I need to take better care of Your temple, my body. Show me how to do this. There doesn’t seem to be enough time for me to take care of myself in the ways we’ve studied today. Show me how to honor You by taking care of my body. I love you.
Focus: Taking care of your body honors God
Scripture: Prayerfully read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. Ask the Father what you need to do to take better care of your body.
THE PHYSICAL ATTACK OF STRESS
Eight a.m. already feels like afternoon to Janet! Before leaving for work at 6:30 a.m., she washed a load of clothes and got things ready to cook dinner for her family that evening.
Now at work, the list of things she needs to accomplish seems endless. Just thinking about the day ahead makes her exhausted. She can’t imagine how she will accomplish everything that needs to be done before the end of the week.
Lately Janet’s been plagued by physical problems. Her exhausted body cries out through headaches, backaches, and should and neck tension, not to mention sheer depletion. Her family has noticed that she’s not taking care of herself and has encouraged her to get some rest and relaxation. That sounds like good advice, but Janet feels there’s simply no time to take care of her physical needs in her hectic schedule.
To what degree do you identify with Janet? Mark the continuum below.
1 -----------------------------------------------2---------------------------------------------------3
Not at all somewhat right on!
Below are physical problems many women have noticed during hectic and fast-paced days. Circle the ones you’ve experienced.
Stomach cramps muscle twitches
Headaches blurred vision
Shortness of breath shakiness
Fatigue unexplained rash
Neck pain Jaw pain
Racing pulse other ___________________
GOD’s TEMPLE
First Corinthians 6:19 says, “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit”. As I grasp that really it becomes my personal goal to take care of my body. I love God, I love His Holy Spirit. I can honor Him by taking care of “His earthly house”: my body.
Can you identify with any of the following? Check all that apply
o Not getting enough sleep
o Rarely exercising
o Eating too much
o Not taking time to relax
o Not eating a balanced diet
Are any of these areas contributing to your frazzledness? If so, circle them.
It was all Libby could do to keep up with the demands at work and manage her household. Because of her busy lifestyle, she viewed an exercise program as a luxury. She hardly had enough energy to fix an evening meal, let alone exercise after a hard day at work. Already she was missing sleep by staying up late to take care of things around the house.
During lunch break Libby usually grabbed fast food while she was running errands. Sometimes she stopped at these same fast-food restaurants after work to buy supper for her family. She often resented some women seemed to have time to exercise regularly and fix nutritious meals for their families. Those women weren’t as busy as she was! Libby felt that she didn’t have time to eat right, exercise and get enough rest.
Do you believe God wants you to take care of your body? Yes, No or I’ve never thought about it.
In which of the following areas do you need to set goals that will help you better care for yourself physically?
o Eating
o Sleeping
o Exercising
o Resting
Ignoring any one of these areas can make you tense, irritable and unable to tackle even little things. The longer these areas go unattended, the more your body, your emotions, and your mind will suffer.
Remember 1 Corinthians 6:20? “Glorify God in your body.” That’s not a suggestion from Him for when you have time: it’s a command straight from Scripture to take care of your physical house! Women who exercise regularly, eat nutritiously, and get enough sleep are better equipped to deal with stress on a daily basis.
This week we will continue to explore the need to take care of the spiritual house. I pray that you will approach these days with a teachable spirit., asking God to show you ways you can take better care of yourself.
What is God revealing to you through today’s study?
As you close today’s study, start your prayer time with this prayer.
Dear Father, I confess that I need to take better care of Your temple, my body. Show me how to do this. There doesn’t seem to be enough time for me to take care of myself in the ways we’ve studied today. Show me how to honor You by taking care of my body. I love you.
