UNPACK This...Giving Our Best With Rest and Health Sample

"If They Stay Healthy"

When predictions are made in regard to which teams will advance in their respective playoffs, the caveat often used is, “if they stay healthy.”

Injuries are part of the game (and sometimes out of players’ control), but when players are consistently injured, it’s fair to question if they’re taking proper care of themselves.

Athletes with long careers, like LeBron James and Tom Brady, have shown the importance of making health a top priority.

In life, our “injuries” may be out of our control, but as followers of Jesus, we’re responsible for properly taking care of our body, mind, heart, and soul to avoid misguided mindsets, negative emotions, and physical tiredness that prevent us from serving God.

Jesus tells us in Luke 21:34, “But be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down and depressed with the giddiness of debauchery and the nausea of self-indulgence and the worldly worries of life.”

When focused on our worries, we become emotionally tired and “injured.” Yet, God gives us the abilities we need for His purposes, so we’re prepared to do what He calls us to do.

Ephesians 2:10 explains, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Jesus empowers us to be spiritually healthy so God can use us effectively. Also, physically we must choose wisely about our nutrition, sleep, and exercise for the energy needed to do His work.

3 John 1:2 says: “Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 asks, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

Today, let’s rely on God’s strength to restore our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health so we’re always ready to be used by Him for His glory.

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, show me unhealthy areas of my life that hold me back. Help me to be available to serve You, and remain spiritually and emotionally healthy. Thank you for Your grace that meets me in my weakness. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.