Do you ever run and run and run through life? At some point it feels like you have to crash into a brick wall in order to get a break. Now, that sounds painful, but do you think its worth it in order for you to realize how fast you were running?

I have been sooo busy lately with becoming BCM president, two jobs, schoolwork, and my relationships with family, friends, etc. My body has this built in alarm system that likely feels very similar to running dead on into a brick wall. When I get too stressed, don't eat enough, or don't sleep enough due to a busy life, my body holds a protest. I get a migraine. Now, if you have had a migraine, you are cringing in pain right now. If you have never had one, I'm not sure how to make you understand how painful it is. It's not just a headache, a migraine takes over your whole body and the only thing you can do is become heavily medicated and lay in a dark room, when the pain lessens, go to sleep, and hope that the pain has subsided by the time you wake up. I had this experience Tuesday. I had the worst migraine I have had since I was in high school. It made me sick and miserable.

However, I think that migraine was a tool God used to remind me of something very important. God created us to need rest. He even commands that we have a day of rest each week. Yes, He created our bodies and He tells us how to treat them. If you went to the store and bought a robot, wouldn't you read the manual that the creator wrote to learn how to treat it? In the same way, God created us and gives us guidelines for optimal functioning. (And these are found all throughout His word.)

Optimal functioning includes taking care of our bodies.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your body. "
1 Corinthians 16:19-20

This includes the type of food we eat, exercise, adornment (whatever that means to you), taking care of our skin, getting enough rest... I could go on for a while.

How much could we accomplish for God's Kingdom if we kept our bodies functioning the way God designed them to function? How much of an impact would that make on thoughtless, worldly people who float through life when they see that the people of God value their spiritual life and the ultimate tool God gave them to spread his word? Aren't we looking too much like the rest of the world in this area? We gave God our entire lives.

"You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So, then let us be alert and self-controlled." 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6

I'm grateful for my built in alarm system that tells me "Hanna you are doing too much." What does God use in your life to remind you to slow down and focus on Him?