Fit for the Master's Use

In I Chronicles 21, King David sins against God and causes a plague to come upon the people of Israel. Repentant for his disobedience, David seeks to offer a sacrifice to God and plead for mercy. He goes to a man named Ornan and asks to buy a piece of his land on which he wants to offer the sacrifice to God. Ornan, being a good and gracious man, told David that he did not have to buy the land. Ornan would gladly give the land, the oxen for the sacrifice, the wood and whatever else David needed. But notice David’s response: And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost (vs. 24). 

David understood that a sacrifice that didn’t cost him anything wasn’t really a sacrifice at all. He understood the importance of going above and beyond for the Lord because God had certainly done that for him.

You’re probably wondering what that has to do with our health and/or anxiety and depression. Allow me to explain. We are living sacrifices unto God (Romans 12:1), but too often we shy away from anything that’s going to cost us something. The Bible tells us that the body is the temple of the Holy Ghost and that we should care for it, but we have a tendency to shrug off the conviction about our health because we know if we do what God is asking of us, it’s going to cost us something. It will mean having to give up bad habits, junk food and some of our favorite treats. And sadly, as much as we love God, we obviously love our comfort foods more because we refuse to give them up.

The result is that we are destroying our bodies, and with them, our mental and emotional capabilities. We are unwilling to acknowledge that “garbage in; garbage out” is just as applicable in our physical and emotional health as it is anywhere else. We mistreat our bodies and fool ourselves into thinking that the only consequence is a little extra pudge. We have deluded ourselves and justified our poor health habits, and it has to stop!

I hope you are reading this because you’ve reached the place of King David. I pray you’ve come to the point where you can say, “I know it’s going to cost me something, but it’s definitely worth it. I’m doing this for God, and I’m doing it for me!” If you’re ready to be a living sacrifice fit for the Master’s work, then let’s get started.


*Excerpt from Rise Up and Build Good Health:  Practical Insights To Heal Your Emotions by Healing Your Body