A couple of years ago, my wife won a new car! Yes, seriously. It was an amazing experience and ultimately a ‘God’ thing. And over the years we did our very best to take good care of the new car that God chose to steward us with.

Imagine for a moment… What if God gave every person an amazing new machine at the beginning of their life, and this machine was a brand new car?

Think about it…

• Every model looked a little bit different, but they all had the same essential components.
• Each owner was responsible for their car’s upkeep, its maintenance, its longevity.
• Those who took great care and concern for stewarding the gift of this one car were able to make it last for a very long time. (Because whether they realized it or not, their life would only last as long as their car.)
• Of course, some cars got into tragic accidents and were sent to the junkyard far too soon.
• Some cars were lemons with no good explanation for their problems.
• But for the most part, all the cars (their performance, reliability, and life expectancy) were the full responsibility of their owner.
• Some people would hot rod in their car and allow it to get dinged up and abused and they didn’t seem to care. They’d rarely change the oil consistently or address problems until a symptom arose revealing the need to take action, sometimes paying far more in repairs than it would have cost to simply maintain their car well.  
• However, others would wash and wax it after nearly every time they took it out for a spin. They loved how others looked at their car with envy. Their car was their pride, sometimes to a fault. 
• And for many, they saw their car as the opportunity to get them successfully from where they were to where God wanted them to be, and simply a tool to do what He had called them to do and to do it well.
• And so they did their best to make their car last by paying attention to how they used it and what they put into it, etc.

Everyone has been given a car by God…

Your ‘car’ is your body.

Maintain it well. Treat it right. Use it wisely. And it will reward you with a lifetime of benefits.

Neglect it. Misuse it. Or abuse it. And there will be inevitable consequences.

“If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.” – Anonymous

Your body’s health not only affects you, but directly affects your relationship with your family.

Let’s be honest…

• Dads who lack energy more often fall victim to the temptations of apathy.
• Parents who fail to maintain their health often struggle as a result to maintain other areas of their life that affect their children.
• Adults who don’t practice healthy food and lifestyle choices naturally lead their children to follow the same patterns in their future.
• A mom or dad who engage in substance abuse or any form of unhealthy or even illegal activity put their children at a much higher risk of one day doing the same. 

However, physically healthy parents have a clear advantage. They find it easier to be at their best for their kids while at the same time setting a great example to follow. They set their children up for future health success themselves. 

Your body – God’s loan…

My dad recently turned in a leased vehicle and he told me all of the expectations the dealer had for returning that vehicle in good condition. In other words, that vehicle was loaned to him for a time with a determined ‘day of accounting’ for how it had been used and treated.

In the same sense, we each will one day give an account for not only what we did with our life, but for how we chose to use the one and only vehicle God provided us with to get through this life in a God-honoring way (2 Cor. 5:10).

Life is short. Family matters more than most people realize.

Don’t neglect your family in the future by neglecting your body in the present.

You may have a lot of different cars in your lifetime, but you only get one body. And your life will only last as long as your body. Do your best to honor God with it and make it last – for your sake, for God’s sake, and for your family’s sake.

Don’t be one of those people who have a lot of life left to live but get it stolen from them by their neglected body.

What could you start doing, stop doing, or do differently to take better care of the one and only body you’ve been given in this life?

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?  I Corinthians 6:19