Honouring God with your Body: Why Accountability Matters

"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; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies." — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This is something that has quietly become a big part of my life.

As a coach, a large part of what I do is hold people accountable for their actions, their decisions, and whether they stay on track with the goals they have set for themselves.

It has taken me months to find the words for what has been sitting on my heart. So here goes.

It Was Never Just About Goals

Yes, I coach people to lose weight, run marathons, become stronger, and improve their health.

But somewhere along the way I realised something much bigger.

Goals are important.

Results are exciting.

But none of those are the real reason we should pursue health.

As Christians, everything we do should honour God.

That includes how we care for the body He entrusted to us.

That means making decisions that are wise, intentional, and obedient.

Over the past year, this truth has been pulling harder and harder at my heart because I have watched how casually we treat our health. We joke about it. We postpone it. We excuse it. We pray about it...

..and then we ignore the answer.

Cancer Changed Everything

Just over a year ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Thankfully now in remission BUT

If you ever want to know what it feels like to have the rug pulled out from underneath you...

that's it.

I've faced difficult things in my life.

I've overcome challenges.

But Stage 4 cancer?

That makes your head spin.

Because suddenly you realise this is something no doctor, no specialist and no family member can do for you.

They can guide you.

They can advise you.

They can treat you.

But they cannot walk the journey for you. It's you and God and the honouring of small decisions you make. 

Every appointment.

Every treatment.

Every hard decision.

Every tear.

Every prayer.

You have to take those steps yourself.

It became one of the most personal journeys I've ever walked, and it was a journey where only God and I truly knew what was happening inside me.

That season forced complete honesty.

It forced me to decide every day that I was choosing life.

Choosing movement.

Choosing faith.

Choosing to become an overcomer.

Nobody Would Have Blamed Me...

During treatment there were many days when showing up was incredibly difficult.

Nobody would have blamed me if I cancelled.

After all...

it's cancer.

People would have understood.

People would have encouraged me to rest.

But I kept asking myself one question:

What about the promise you made to God to look after the body He gave you?

That question changed everything.

We Keep Promises To Everyone Except Ourselves

If you've followed my coaching for any length of time, you know I talk about honouring your commitments.(You can read my Coaching blog on: www.activeliving4allcoaching.com)

If you tell someone you'll be there, you're there.

If your boss asks something of you, you get it done.

If your child needs you, you show up.

But when we make promises to ourselves...

suddenly we become incredibly generous with "grace."

We promise ourselves we'll exercise.

Tomorrow.

We promise ourselves we'll eat better.

Monday.

We'll start after the holidays.

After the birthday.

After winter.

After life calms down.

And somehow we've convinced ourselves that's acceptable.

We've become more committed to disappointing ourselves than disappointing anyone else. And we live in this almost twisted reality that its ok...

Jesus said,

"Let your 'Yes' be yes, and your 'No,' no." — Matthew 5:37

That doesn't only apply to promises made to other people.

It applies to the promises we make before God.

Accountability Is Not Babysitting

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about coaching is that accountability means someone else carries the responsibility.

It doesn't.

Accountability means someone helps you honour the decisions you already made.

A coach provides knowledge.

A coach provides guidance.

A coach asks hard questions.

A coach reminds you why you started.

But a coach cannot eat your meals.

A coach cannot lace up your shoes.

A coach cannot train your body.

A coach cannot make your choices.

That's your responsibility.

Babysitting is completely different.

Babysitting means someone makes every decision for you.

They remind you constantly.

They carry the mental load.

They take responsibility when something doesn't get done.

That's not coaching.

And that's certainly not discipleship.

Faith Requires Action

James doesn't sugar-coat this.

"Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." — James 2:17

Faith has never meant sitting still.

Faith has always required obedience.

God opens doors.

God provides wisdom.

God gives strength.

But He still expects us to walk through the door.

He doesn't take the steps for us.

Excuses Become Habits

I know excuses.

Believe me.

I've used every one of them.

I had chemo.

I worked a long day.

I trained hard yesterday.

I didn't sleep well.

I'm tired.

I'll start tomorrow.

Sound familiar?

The frightening thing about excuses isn't the first one.

It's the second.

Then the third.

Then they become normal.

Every excuse makes the next excuse easier.

Scripture says,

"The sluggard says, 'There is a lion outside!'" — Proverbs 22:13

It's an exaggerated excuse to avoid action.

How often do we do exactly the same thing?

We convince ourselves that today's obstacle is simply too big.

When in reality...

we've just become comfortable making excuses.

God Doesn't Babysit Us Either

This has probably been the biggest lesson God has taught me this year.

There were areas where I expected Him to make the decisions for me.

Almost as though He would babysit me.

Then He reminded me:

He already gave me a brain.

He already gave me His Word.

He already gave me His Spirit.

Now it's my responsibility to obey.

God holds us accountable.

He doesn't force obedience.

He invites it.

Honouring God Through Exercise And Nutrition

Now let's talk about food and movement.

There's an old saying:

"Your body showcases your diet, not your training."

There's a lot of truth in that.

Six-packs are built in the kitchen.

But this isn't about six-packs.

This isn't about looking a certain way.

This isn't about judging what you eat.

This is about stewardship.

Your body belongs to God.

"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." — 1 Corinthians 10:31

Everything.

Even eating.

Even training.

Even sleeping.

Everything.

You Already Know What To Do

Most people don't need another diet.

They don't need another exercise plan.

They don't need another coach.

They need to become obedient to what they already know and the info that they have.

You prayed about your health.

You asked God for strength.

You asked Him for discipline.

You asked Him to help you.

Now what?

Do you honour that prayer?

Or do you expect Him to do the work while you wait?

Imagine hiring a coach.

The coach gives you the manual.

The workouts.

The meal plan.

The education.

You read it...

then never apply it.

Would you blame the coach?

Of course not.

Yet we often do exactly that with God.

His Word is full of wisdom.

He tells us not to be gluttonous.

"Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat." — Proverbs 23:20-21

He tells us to be disciplined.

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." — 2 Timothy 1:7

He tells us our bodies belong to Him.

So the question becomes...

Are we listening?

"Have Grace With Yourself"

This one might sting...

Somewhere along the way, we've turned "give yourself grace" into permission to quit.

Now don't misunderstand me.

There are genuine times for rest.

God designed Sabbath.

Recovery matters.

Healing matters.

But "grace" has become the modern excuse for inconsistency and mediocrity

The moment something becomes difficult...

we reach for grace instead of discipline.

Discipline isn't punishment.

Discipline is love in action.

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness..." — Hebrews 12:11

Walking Alone

I said to a friend recently that training with someone makes commitment easier.

It's enjoyable.

It's motivating.

It's encouraging.

But real growth happens when you walk into the gym alone, when you get up in the dark when the house is quiet and pick up that dumbbell and do the workout even...

When there are two thousand other things demanding your attention...

and you choose to honour the commitment anyway.

Not because you feel like it.

Because you decided. That's INTEGRITY...

Integrity isn't simply doing the right thing when people are watching. It's choosing to honour your word when no one would know if you didn't. It's keeping the promises you made to yourself because you first made them before God.

"The one... who keeps an oath even when it hurts." — Psalm 15:4

"Whoever walks in integrity walks securely..." — Proverbs 10:9

Movement Is Medicine

We have become a society that sits.

Behind desks.

Behind steering wheels.

Behind screens.

Walking to the printer five times a day isn't movement.

God designed our bodies to move.

To lift.

To carry.

To work.

To walk.

To become strong.

Feeling lethargic isn't usually because you're moving too much.

More often it's because you're moving too little.

The less we move...

the less we want to move.

The same applies to nutrition.

Eating well for one day won't undo months of poor habits.

Neither will one week.

Health isn't built through occasional effort.

It's built through consistent obedience.

Lukewarm Health Reflects Lukewarm Commitment

The other day God challenged me with something that stopped me in my tracks.

Treating His temple carelessly is a lot like being a lukewarm Christian.

You show up when it's convenient.

You show up when it's easy.

You show up when you feel like it.

Jesus had strong words for lukewarm faith.

"Because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." — Revelation 3:16

That verse isn't about exercise.

It's about wholehearted commitment.

But it challenged me deeply.

If I want to be a warrior for Christ, shouldn't every part of my life reflect that commitment?

Soldiers Train Every Day

Think about soldiers.

They don't train only when they feel motivated.

They train daily.

They eat intentionally.

They strengthen their minds.

They strengthen their bodies.

They prepare before the battle.

Only then do they put on their armour.

Paul tells us,

"Put on the full armour of God..." — Ephesians 6:10-18

But armour is heavy.

Battles are exhausting.

How can we expect to fight spiritual battles while neglecting the very body God gave us?

Sleep matters.

Nutrition matters.

Strength matters.

Movement matters.

Not because they earn salvation.

But because they prepare us to serve faithfully. Trust me when I say This is as much of a challenge for me as it is for you. SO...

My Challenge To You

If you've read this far, perhaps you've started another plan. Or you haven't read or applied any or

Maybe it's your tenth.

Maybe your fiftieth. Half applied and half read....

Maybe you've prayed over your health countless times.

Maybe you've promised God that this time will be different.

Then let today be different.

Stop asking God to take action He has already asked you to take.

Walk with Him.

Honour the body He entrusted to you.

Keep your word.

Not because it's easy.

Not because you'll always feel motivated.

But because obedience honours God.

Your coach cannot do the work for you.

God will not do the work for you either.

He walks beside you.

He strengthens you.

He equips you.

But He still asks you to take the next step.

So today...

Take it.

Not for the number on the scale.

Not for the medal.

Not for the mirror.

But because your body is God's temple.

And that alone is reason enough to honour it.