It's My Body

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart & with all your soul & with all your mind & with all your strength.

The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself."

Mark 12:30 & 31

This is the verse at the beginning of the 3rd session of the Bible study at church!

When I 1st read it I thought, this is a commandment!

What does this really have to do with my body?

Well it took me back to the 1st session Defining Worth.

I thought about the measure of a woman's values. They don't depend on how much she has accomplished in her life, or how much she weighs, or what she looks like or even what others perceive to be her level of spirituality.

The lesson It's My Body went on to say that: A woman's self-worth is based on her ability to look in the mirror & like the woman she sees there.

Are you kidding me!?!

A major aspect of self-worth is to understand the importance of caring for the whole person: Body, Soul, Mind & Spirit.

Determining self-worth is discovering the value of whom God created you to be. It is to acknowledge that your worth is based on God's love, grace, & perfect design.

Body - The Physical Me

Each of us is a physical being housed in a physical body. This shell may be temporal, but how we care for it will largely determine our quality & length of life.

Soul - The Emotional Me

Positive & negative emotions can have lasting effects on us mentally, spiritually & physically. Our emotions are most closely tied to our thoughts.

Mind - The Thinking Me

The words that come from our mouths are the result of our thought processes, but the tone of out thoughts also effects our spiritual, emotional, & physical well-being.

Spiritual - The Lord in Me

Our spiritual being is at the center of who we are. Spiritual self-care is essential to our growth in relationship with God.

God wants us to love him with our whole being because that is who he created us - as a whole person. Loving ourselves is one of the hardest things for many of us to do.

1st, a healthy self-love is not prideful, but is based on who God is & his love for us.

2nd, as we judge ourselves, so we judge others.

When negative thoughts, emotions or attitudes creep in, we need to turn our focus toward Jesus.

I am making some changes in my life!

As you consider these things, ask the Lord to help you nurture the most important areas of who you are emotionally, mentally, physically & spiritually.