Be Good to Your Bodyનમૂનો

A HOLY PURSUIT

Shortly after my son was born, I was rocking him in his room and looking at the banner hanging on his wall. The words “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) are printed on it. I’d read that passage a thousand times, but for some reason, on that day in particular, the word fearfully stood out to me.

What does that word mean? I wondered. Scared?

So while my newborn napped on my chest, I grabbed my phone and looked it up.

I learned that the word fearfully in Hebrew is yare, which means “reverence” or “respect.” As it’s translated, fearfully isn’t about being scared; rather, it’s about being in the presence of something sacred. It’s about wonder, amazement, awe, and reverence.

If our bodies are sacred to their creator, it only makes sense to treat them with reverence and respect. But treating our bodies well goes deeper than the body-positive language and empty self-love affirmations that society offers. It requires a right view of the body as a sacred vessel to carry out our callings. As we’ve explored these past several days, our bodies were made to worship and glorify God, not to be “gods” we obsess over.

Treating healthy living as a means to an end (caring for our bodies so we can carry out our callings for the glory of God) and not as an end (or god) itself helps us keep a healthy heart posture. It also helps us remember that being good to our bodies isn’t just avoiding “bad” things or biohacking our way through our days. It’s enjoying the gift of life and living it fully! As Proverbs 17:22 reminds us, “a cheerful heart is good medicine.”

It is a holy pursuit to care for the bodies we’ve been given—to nourish, move, rest, and honor them as we give our bodies the good things God designed for them to thrive.

So as you move forward, may you do so with a renewed perspective, one rooted not in shame or striving, but in gratitude and trust. May the way you care for your body—through food, movement, rest, and joyful living—be a daily act of worship, a quiet echo of the truth that you are, indeed, fearfully and wonderfully made.

How has your view of your body changed through this devotional journey? What are a few specific ways you can be good to your body in new ways?

We hope you are encouraged by this plan. If you would like to learn more about BE GOOD TO YOUR BODY by Jordan Lee Dooley, please click HERE .