You Won’t Get By

“You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple,” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 MSG

A few weeks ago, during a phone check-in with one of my clients, she confessed that she hadn’t been able to write as much as she wanted or even stick to her schedule for that week. She told me that she had felt a little sick at the beginning of the week; and, by the end of the week, she was totally out of commission! Restricted to the antibiotics prescribed by her doctor and the four corners of her bed. When I dug a little deeper, she admitted that there had been added pressure at work and a larger demand at home with (moms, excuse the cuss word) remote learning! And, although she felt something coming on, she chose to push her body and keep pressing because she thought she would get by.

That was when she and I had what I like to call “the talk”. I find myself, often, having this talk mostly with women, especially moms! A little over 2 years ago, I went through the same thing. I ignored the tickle in my throat and the slight headache because – to quote one of my favorite memes – “ain’t nobody got time for that!” And, before I knew it – I was out three whole days! In my bed, sick as a dog (pardon the cliché). My client and I, both, made the decision to push our bodies beyond our limitations, despite what our bodies were telling us – and we paid the price! We thought (as most of us do) that by pushing ourselves we were making the most of our time and getting things done, when in reality we ended up losing time!

So, I shared my experience with her and what I learned – pay attention to my body! When I feel some kind of illness trying to come on me, I DO NOT play with those signs! Let me share my routine (seriously, it’s a routine). First, I speak over my body because I AM 100% healed as is God’s promise for me! Then, I might take some type of cold medicine or just drink orange juice depending on what I’m feeling. But, the other super important thing I do, and my favorite, is sleep! Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE SLEEP! Sleep is of God! But also, sleep helps boost your immune system. So, I’m intentional about either taking a nap or going to bed early so my body can do what God created it to do! This routine gets me back on track!

It might seem minor but paying attention to our bodies is vitally important to handling God’s Kingdom business. If we’re constantly sick, how can we accomplish His will on the earth? From the scripture above, we can safely assume God does not play when it comes to our bodies! He loves you so much, He’s willing to preserve you (His temple) in spite of you (your soul)! I see you, beloved; working, cooking, cleaning, taking care of your kids, going to school, serving in ministry, caring for your elderly parents, running errands, and doing whatever else God called you to. You’re amazing! But remember, you’re the temple! Taking care of yourself is an act of worship to Him! And, if you don’t honor your body by listening to it, you simply won’t get by.