Joyce Meyer - Look Great, Feel Great: 12 Keys to Enjoying a Healthy Life Now

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Amplified Bible (AMP). The Amplified Bible, Old Testament. Copyright 1965, 1987 by The Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament, copyright 1954, 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked The Message are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Copyright 2006 Joyce Meyer

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D o you have any idea how valuable you are? If you suffer from self-doubt or self-hatred, if you abuse your body with bad food or bad habits, even if you simply put yourself at the very bottom of the list of people you do things for, under the kids and spouse and parents and boss and friends, then you do not understand your own value. If you did, you wouldnt treat yourself that way. You were put on this earth to spread Gods love, and nothing could be more valuable than that.

Maybe you never learned your own importance. Thats what happened to me. As a child, I was abused and came to believe that I was the least valuable person on the planet. It took me many years of studying Gods word and experiencing fellowship with Him before I got even an inkling of my own worth.

Or maybe you did know your value when you were younger, but somewhere along the way you forgot it, buried it under a to-do list that clamored louder for your attention than your own soul did. If so, then join the club. The degraded value systems in the modern world bombard us with the message that our spirit, soul, and body come last, after money and food and status and stuff. No matter how hard we resist, we all succumb now and then.

I cant tell you how important it is to reform your value system and go back to a much older value system. Gods value system. It applies to all people, and it puts your entire being (body, mind, will, emotions, and spirit) right at the top of Gods list of important and valuable things. Your entire being plays an important role in Gods plan; Hes entrusted you to take care of it, and thats a lot of responsibility indeed. Only by keeping your spirit, soul, and body in tip-top condition can you truly do Gods work.

Let me give you an example. One day I was experiencing a lot of guilt over something I did wrong. Although I asked God to forgive me and believed that He did, I still felt guilty. My mind was on my past when it should have been on my future. I felt depressed and discouraged. I had a headache, and in general did not feel like doing much of anything. The Holy Spirit began to deal with my attitude. He asked me if I thought my attitude was helping me do His work. He then said, I want you to get over this because you are no good to Me in this condition. The Holy Spirits straightforward way of dealing with me helped me see that I was wasting my day on negative emotions. I was actually allowing my soul (mind, will, and emotions) to adversely affect my spirit and my body. My spirit felt oppressed and my body ached. We must realize that we are complex creatures and every part of us affects the other parts.

If we dont take good care of our bodies, our spirit and soul will be less effective. If we worry excessively, it can adversely affect our health. If we have no relationship with God and are spiritually weak, nothing seems to work right in our lives. We are definitely tri-part beings and have many facets to our nature, and each needs proper care.

But how do you do spirit maintenance, soul maintenance, and body maintenance? You cant drop them off at the local mechanic for a tune-up. No, but one of the best ways to care for your spirit and soul while on this planet is to care for your body. Your body is the temple of your spirit and soul; it is the house they dwell in while on this earth. Gods word says that your body is the temple of God! He dwells in those who believe in Him.

Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own.

I Corinthians 6:19

What if you went to a church and it was run-down? Peeling paint, broken doors, smudged windows that didnt let the light in. Youd wonder about the pastor, wouldnt you? The church is his instrument for celebrating the glory of God, yet if he doesnt respect the church enough to take the time to keep it in good condition, what does this say about his relationship with God?

The same question applies to your own body. Its your God-given instrument for experiencing life on Earth and for doing good works. It is the home of your spirit where God dwells. To do the work you were meant to do, you need to keep it in shape. If you let your body get too shabby or sick, it will be a constant distraction. You will not be able to experience the Presence of God and His joy and peace any more than you could in a church building that was uncomfortable, falling apart, or aesthetically demoralizing. Each time we break down emotionally, mentally, or physically, it has a wearing effect on us. If we do it too often, we may eventually come to a place where we can no longer be restored.

I still have to remind myself of this. Once I hurt my voice by speaking in a seminar with an extremely sore throat. That morning when I woke up, I could barely make a sound. I knew I shouldnt speak, but I thought about the disappointment of the audience if I didnt. So I forced myself to speak, thinking I could just get through the day and rest my voice the next day. I was not showing respect for my body and pushed my own needs to the bottom of the pile. I did not use wisdom or common sense.

It seems we often plan to take care of ourselves some other day! I managed to speak that day, but the next day I could not make a sound. I couldnt the next day either, or the day after that. I had to adjust my schedule. The condition continued, and I began to worry. I could tell that something was wrong with my throat. I finally went to the doctor, who told me that I had damaged my vocal cords and that I should never again do public speaking with an extremely sore throat. He gave me medicine to reduce the swelling and inflammation. He said each time we push ourselves beyond reasonable limits, we do some damage, and if we do it too often we get to a point where we cant recover. He said it might reach a point where I could not teach at all if I did not respect my voice and take care of it.

Think about that. By ignoring my bodys wisdom and trying to please others at that moment, I nearly jeopardized my entire public ministry! If I had permanently damaged my voice, I would have wound up helping far fewer people and derailing my lifes calling. Now Im more careful about protecting the tools I need to do Gods workmy voice, my mind, my heart, emotions and my body. In fact, when you think about it, all your ability to be active and do good in the world requires a healthy mind, body, and soul, and those things rely on a healthy lifestyle and environment. Keeping this big picture in mind can help you stay on your lifes path and not make shortsighted decisions.