'Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit'

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

-1 Corinthians 6:19-20

A couple of thoughts on the idea of your body as a temple - in stroke prevention and for fellow stroke survivors.

Paul was specifically writing here about sexual immorality, but the concept of your body as a temple for God is something you can carry in every aspect. Here's a couple:

Stroke prevention - If your body is a temple, maintain it well. One recent posting about stroke prevention listed the top risk factors:

• History of high blood pressure
• Current smoking
• Abdominal obesity
• Diabetes
• Lack of physical activity
• Poor diet
• More than 30 drinks per month or binge drinking
• Ratio of blood fats known as apolipoprotein B (apo B) to apolipoprotein AI (apo AI)
• Heart disease
• Psychosocial stress/depression

So many of these are at least partially in our control. Watch the numbers. Listen to your doctor. Be as active as you can be. Watch what you eat. You don't have to be unreasonable - just maintain that temple.

And for stroke survivors - My imperfect, flawed, damaged body is a temple. God loves me so much, despite my flaws, that he considers my body as a temple. Your body is a temple because of God's love for you.

Never forget that.

(Image from the Iowa Department of Public Health)