Stewardship

I'll get into our peaceful thought for the week in a minute, but first I have something I want to say.  I've been thinking a little about this whole category of "peaceful thoughts" a bit over the past week.  To me this category makes sense, but perhaps with the things I've been writing some of you are confused as to why I categorize these thoughts as peaceful.  I've thought perhaps I'd be better off calling it "scripture and reflection of the week that will somehow tie in to physical fitness."  Besides the fact that that title is long, I still think "peaceful thoughts" is better.  The reason why is this: knowing where I stand with with my Heavenly Father and with my Savior, Jesus Christ bring peace into my whole being.  Knowing how I can better behave makes me feel peaceful.  Knowing Heavenly Father's commandments makes me feel peaceful.  I like to know where I stand.  Don't we all?  There is something in me that feels better knowing where I stand in my Heavenly Father's eyes and according to His plan, even if that place where I'm currently at is far below where I should be.  At least I know where I am and how I can do better.  And I do try to do better.  Wasn't there some old slogan that said "Knowing is half the battle."...?  In this case, for me, I think that's true.  And so I read my scriptures every day with the intention of trying to learn (or remember) His commandments and in order to listen more carefully to the direction my Heavenly Father is trying to give me.  This has been a long explanation.  I hope we all came out on this tail end of it together and that I didn't lose some of you back there.  Okay, on to this week's peaceful thought.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"What?  Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."


1 Corinthians 4:2
"Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

First, I want to define stewardship as I understand it.  Stewardship mean that somebody has entrusted you with something of theirs temporarily and at a later time they will assess how well you have taken care of it.  In this case, Heavenly Father has entrusted me with a physical body.  It is up to me to eat healthy and exercise and refrain from doing and consuming things that would be harmful to my body.  In order to be a good steward over my body, I need to keep it as healthy as I can.  Why?  Well, first of all, because Heavenly Father said so.  But also (I think) because having a healthy body makes it so I am better able to serve others.  It makes me less stressed so I'm able to spend more time thinking about others than about myself.  It helps me to better understand those who are also trying to be good stewards over their bodies and be of support to them.  In other words, having a healthy body makes me a more able and ready servant of the Lord.  No wonder it is "required" that we be faithful stewards over our bodies.  And if all this weren't enough, we have the added motivation in the truth that our bodies are temples and that, when we treat our bodies accordingly, we'll have the companionship of the Holy Ghost.  And what a blessing that is!  To be guided and directed by that member of the godhead, that "still, small voice."  So, in closing, I would just like to remind myself (and all of you, of course) that the wish for a flat tummy is really only one small reason that we should exercise and eat healthy foods.  No wonder striving to have healthy bodies makes us happier people.  It proves us faithful stewards and followers of Heavenly Father's commandments.  How's that for knowing where you stand?