Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. I Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV)

The third and final part of man is the body, or the physical, flesh part of him. With the body, man connects with and interacts with the world around him. It is to be the vehicle or tool by which we carry out what God has communicated to the spirit and what the soul has interpreted from it. As we noted before, the body is to be subservient to the soul, which is to be subservient to the spirit.

The body, like ths spirit and soul, has three main parts. The body is made up of the flesh, bones, and blood.

Flesh

The flesh is the living tissue of the body, making up the muscles, tendons, ligaments, organs, and so forth. The five sense operate mostly through the flesh. Do not confuse this flesh with the fleshly nature of man, or the unsaved, carnal nature. We are talking about the physical flesh of the body. The carnal man is one who allows his physical body to dominate him.

Bones

The bones make up the structure of the body and give it strength and stability. According to the Bible, our health is tied directly to the marrow of the bones.

Blood

The blood is the river that flows through the body, bringing nutrients to the cells and removing waste and toxins. It is the cleanser of the body. According to the Bible, life in is the blood, or no blood means no life, sick blood means a sick life, etc.

God wants us to give our bodies to Him for His use. God created the body and has a purpose for it. He wants it to be healed, healthy, and whole. When our bodies are not well, God can bring healing and wholeness to us. The body of a saved person is the temple, or dwelling place, of God. He wants us to glorify Him with our bodies. A broken down body does not bring glory to God. And a body that is involved in carnal activity does not bring glory to God. We must take care of our bodies but we are not to worship our bodies or how we look.

To fulfill the call of God on our lives, He wants us to take good care of our bodies. We are to eat right. we should feed our bodies fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grain, healthy fats, and drink plenty of clean water. Our bodies are mainly water so we need to stay hydrated. Water helps clear out toxins and keep our joints lubricated. Good nutrition is important so be sure to use nutritional supplements like vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc.

Exercise is important to maintaining good health. Start off slow with exercise and build up. Movement keeps your bodily fluids in motion and helps with overall health. It helps your cardiovascular health and keeps your joints from becoming arthritic and stiff. A combination of cardio and weight training is helpful. Get with your doctor to determine a good exercise regimen.

Our spiritual and soul health affects our bodies. Staying in close communion with God and keeping a watch over our thoughts and emotions will have a positive impact on our physcial wellbeing. Be mindful of the value of laughter. Laughter is good for all three parts of man. It lifts the spirit, brings health to the soul, and makes us feel good physically. A merry hearts does good like a medicine.

Sleep and rest are also important to our health. We need to do what we can to get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. It allows our body systems to rest, rejuvenate, and reset. It gives our mind a break so we have a better outlook. And it is important to take time to rest, such as the occasional vacation or regular quiet time to think or enjoy a hobby. Rest and sleep are both vital.

The body houses the spirit and soul. It gives us the legal right to live on this earth and exercise our dominion over it. Our bodies are to be used by our spirit and soul and should not have dominance over them. However, we are to care for our bodies so we can fulfill our destinies with God.