BREAST CANCER AND OUR BODY

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As someone who has had a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction for cancer, I now have a new appreciation for my body. At times, I had been critical of myself. Scars from four previous surgeries reminded me of what I had already endured. While I’m thankful for the reconstruction, the fake ones are not as good as the real ones.

I could say much more about that—how Satan gives us fake peace, fake hope, fake salvation, fake love, and fake truth. Only God can provide us with what’s authentic. How quickly we forget.

Sometimes, we don’t appreciate what we have until we don’t have it anymore, like good health. Cancer steals that from us. Now, I’m thankful to be cancer-free six years out. I make time for a healthy lifestyle and take better care of my body, like eating better, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly.

The hardest part of my cancer treatment was putting poison (chemotherapy) inside my body. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (I Corinthians 6:19).

Taking care of the body God has given us honors Him. We feel stronger spiritually and mentally. We make better choices. We live better, and since we aren’t running out of gas, so to speak, pulling ourselves down with negative thoughts and judgmental attitudes, we have more to offer to others. We will love better. We will live out of abundance, not limited by our own needs. We will be a brighter light in the Kingdom of God before Christ’s return.

Boundaries are also important. We will know what we are comfortable with with healthy boundaries and won’t compare ourselves to others. Our bodies are holy, so we should be holy in all our ways. When we do that, we will glorify God, which should be our highest calling.

PRAYER: Thank you, Jesus, that You are with me. Help me to be thankful for the trials that come my way, for in those trials are greater opportunities to glorify You.