Our 2nd Gift To Manage: Health -- Part 4

Continued from yesterday...
(Remember: These are my unedited notes, so don't get bothered by any punctuation or spelling errors!)

The last area that effects our physical health is our Downtime (Rest/Sabbath/relieve stress).

How much downtime you give your body has a huge effect on your health!

In Mark 6, Jesus sent the disciples out in ministry groups. They had a lot of success and came back and told Jesus about it.

Listen to the advice he gave them in Mark 6:30-32..
30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and what they had taught. 31 Then Jesus said, "Let's get away from the crowds for a while and rest." There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat. 32 They left by boat for a quieter spot.

Jesus cared about the disciples need for quiet and rest. He stopped them from being in "workaholic, adrenaline" mode and got them to pause from the busyness, because he knew our bodies need proper rest!

I heard on a recent news report that SLEEP is as important as diet and exercise! In this report they said that getting the right amount of rest can help you drop a dress size!

These are the three areas that will have a huge impact on this gift of health that God gave us to manage: Input, Output and Downtime–.

There are two ways to focus on your health: on Prevention or Cure!

Some of us might need to change some of our habits that we'’ve created in our lives, so we can cure some of the health problems we have.

Prevention is the best way to focus on your health!

If you want to be healthy 1 year from now do something about it today!

Don'’t try and make BIG changes. You'’ll only do it for a short time and eventually fail! You might see a big change, but it won'’t last!

Focus on making small changes that you can KEEP doing over a long time. That way you'’ll slowly build new habits and the accumulation of good choices over time will have a huge, lasting effect!

What I'’ve been doing to improve my health:

• Trying to drink more water.
• Take a multi-vitamin everyday.
• Drink less soda. (I limit it to one soda -– at the most)
• Focus on my posture.
• Do simple exercises for about 10 minutes or so a day until I get back to the gym.
• Prayer walks. (Spiritual & Physical Health!)

I want to encourage you to focus on prevention and begin investing more in the gift of health that God has given you!

I'm obviously, not telling you to forget about spiritual things.

In 1 Timothy 4:8, Paul said, "“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

Keep focusing on your Spiritual health and growth. It has eternal value!

But, also make sure to focus on your WHOLE being. Study and live out what the Bible says about your emotional health, your intellectual health and your physical health!

One of the ways you can invest your gift of time is by working on your gift of health!

THIS Sunday, we'’ll look at the third gift that God has given us to manage!