“If our bodies are made for the Lord and he cares about them, shouldn’t we care about them too?

I have spent years preaching about the importance of surrendering your entire being to God, but all the while, I had a major blind spot. In my mind, surrendering myself didn’t mean surrendering my ice cream spoon. It didn’t mean surrendering my unwillingness to exercise. When I thought about my physical health at all, I assumed it was mine to manage (read: squander) as I pleased.

But through prayer and study, God began to impress a new realization on me: My body wasn’t created for my own gratification, but his glory.”

– Nelson Searcy, Steve Reynolds & Jennifer Dykes Henson

The above quote is from p. 34 of The Healthy Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Health and Wellness.

P.S. – Click here to grab your copy from Amazon today! 

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.