“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies” (I Corinthians 6:19-20).
I love going to buffet for lunch or dinner. It’s all that I can eat for one moderate price. Taking that first plate, my eyes brighten up seeing all the varieties of food from soup to sushi, salads and seafood, meats and vegetables. I can’t forget those desserts and softy ice cream cone at the end.
I walked out of the restaurant with my stomach bulging, believe it or not. However, after an hour or two at home, I am rummaging through the refrigerator for something else! Are you like me after eating a big dinner, you still want something more!
Each of us have those moments, but I wonder whether my body is truly hungering for physical food or for spiritual food! Maybe, my soul and spirit are trying to tell me that I need spiritual food. I need more than a one course meal of reading a chapter a day in the Bible. Could it be that my spirit and soul are still hungry for more spiritual food? Hmm, I must think about that!
Every three months I have a physical exam and blood work on my body to reflect on how I am caring for my physical body. Wouldn’t it be something if we also have a quarterly spiritual checkup on how we are caring for our soul and spirit! Would someone like to develop a spiritual health checkup for us? All of us need that exam.
We are more than just a physical being in this body. We are spiritual being with the Holy Spirit living in our bodies. What an honor to have Him live in us. Because His Spirit lives in us, our true motivation is not just to please our primary physician by restricting our diet, but it is to glorify God. That means more moderation of food intake, appropriate exercise and rest for the evening so that His Spirit can work in and through us. It’s being a fit vessel in His hands. That’s the true motivation.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching. As our eyes brighten up with seeing all those dishes before us, remember that Scriptures have a variety of dishes for us as well. Let us strive to make the Holy Spirit truly happy as a resident in our bodies by dining on His dishes from the Word of God.
Kingston Tong
November 2nd, 2025