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Why Your Health Matters to Your Ministry

Your body is a tool for ministry. God wants to use you to fulfill his purposes in the world—but he won’t do it without your cooperation. That means you must take care of your body.

The Bible says: "Don’t you know 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” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT).

If you want God to use you more effectively in the year ahead, it starts with your health.

1. Recognize that your body matters to God

The Living Bible paraphrase says, "You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed your laws” (Psalm 119:73) God created your body and established principles of good health. You need a balance of sleeping, eating, and exercising to serve effectively.

Chances are you need to work on at least one of these areas:

  • Sleep: Some of you are tired all the time—not because you’re overworked in ministry, but because you stay up late doing things that don’t matter. A single extra hour of sleep each night could significantly increase your energy for ministry. “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night . . . for God gives rest to his loved ones” (Psalm 127:2 NLT).

  • Eating: Let’s be honest—God made food taste great. But self-control is necessary. What you eat—and what you avoid—impacts your health and your ministry.

  • Exercise: Every January, people launch into exercise plans. But by February, those plans are often forgotten. Don’t let that happen. Put your plan on the calendar. Make it a commitment, not a whim.

2. Develop a healthy attitude toward your body

You can choose the wrong attitude. You can choose to neglect it, reject it, or try to perfect it (worship your body). None of those honor God.

The right attitude is to respect and protect your body. Why?

Because God made it, Jesus died for it, and the Holy Spirit lives in it.

3. Discipline yourself for an eternal reward

Paul writes, “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize” (1 Corinthians 9:25 NLT).

You’re not getting in shape just to look good—you’re doing it to fulfill your life mission and serve God with strength.

So, pastor, make this the time to get in shape—for the glory of God and the good of others. Watch how God uses you more effectively in ministry when you take care of the body he gave you.

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