October 3
Your Body
is a Gift
"Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you. You have received him from God. You do not belong to yourselves. Christ has paid the price for you. So use your bodies in a way that honors God."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIrV)
Anthony took a slow drag from his cigarette, letting the smoke curl into the cold evening air. He had been smoking since his early twenties. A pack a day—sometimes more. It was a part of his routine, his comfort. He ignored the warnings. His doctor had urged him to quit. His wife pleaded with him. Even the terrifying images on the cigarette packs—blackened lungs, diseased gums—didn’t faze him. “I’ll be fine,” he always said. “I enjoy it. It keeps me calm.”
He told himself he had control. But the truth was, the cigarettes controlled him.
Then, at 53, everything changed.
The coughing had been getting worse, but he brushed it off. Until one day, it didn’t stop. His chest burned, and he struggled to catch his breath. His wife insisted he see the doctor. He went, expecting another lecture. Instead, he got a diagnosis.
Lung cancer.
The words felt like a hammer against his chest. His mind raced. No, this can’t be happening. Not to me. I’m fine. I’m always fine. But the doctor’s face was serious. The damage had been done. Years of ignoring the warnings had caught up with him.
Anthony sat in his car after the appointment, his hands shaking. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, staring at it. How did it come to this? The addiction that had once been his comfort now felt like poison in his hands. With a trembling breath, he rolled down the window and let the cigarette drop. He watched the wind carry it away.
That night, he fell to his knees beside his bed. For the first time in years, he prayed. “God, I’ve been careless. I’ve mistreated this body You gave me. I didn’t listen. And now I’m scared. Please help me. Help me fight this. Give me strength to quit, to heal, to make the most of whatever time I have left.”
For the first time in decades, he didn’t smoke the next morning. Or the next. It wasn’t easy—the cravings were unbearable, the regret even worse. But Anthony was determined. His body was a gift from God, and he would honor it now.
His cancer battle had just begun, but so had his transformation.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the body You have given me.
Forgive me for the ways I have mistreated it, whether through bad habits, neglect, or carelessness.
Help me to see my body as a temple of Your Spirit, something to be cherished and cared for.
Lord, I lift up those struggling with addiction or poor health choices—give them the strength to change and the wisdom to seek help.
Fill us with Your healing, both physically and spiritually.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
