In this week’s blog, I’d like to introduce the Affirmation of the Month, a new feature that will help us to Engage The Tongue. Each month, we’ll provide an affirmation to help you speak God’s truth over your life, switching out negative, limiting beliefs for thoughts and words that bring life and health to our mind, body, and soul.

In a season geared toward thankfulness, this month’s affirmation speaks gratitude for our physical body:

I am thankful for my body.

I am thankful for my body exactly as God made it.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

So often when it comes to our physical body, it’s easy to focus (and speak!) only about the things we wish were different. We wish we weighed less. We wish we fit into a smaller size. We wish we were more toned, less wrinkled, had bigger muscles, and a smaller waistline. Though it’s easy to get stuck in this negative frame of mind, shifting to a positive, grateful attitude for and about your body is foundational to sustainable healthy living. We are working with, not against, our bodies to fuel and strengthen an abundant life.

What’s so great about my body anyway?

This shift in our thinking can be challenging, so allow me to provide you with a little inspiration to foster gratitude for your body. First, let’s see what God’s Word has to say.

In Psalm 139:14, David worships God for the wonder of his physical body:

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Here are just a few of the incredible ways God has designed our bodies:

• Today, you will breathe approximately 20,000 times. By the time you are 50, you will have taken about 400 million breaths.

• There is anywhere between 60,000-100,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body. If they were taken out and laid end-to-end, they would be long enough to travel around the world more than three times.

• The memory capacity of the human brain is equivalent to more than four terabytes on a hard drive.

• Nerve impulses sent from the brain travel as fast as 170 mph.

• Adults have between 2,000-4,000 taste buds located not just on the tongue, but in the back of the throat, epiglottis, nose, sinuses, and down the throat to the upper part of the esophagus. This is part of the reason why our sense of taste and smell are so closely connected!

• The muscles which help your eyes to focus complete around 100,000 movements a day. For your leg muscles to do the same number of movements, you would need to walk almost 50 miles!

This does not even begin to scratch the surface of the countless processes that your body has completed just while you are reading this article, not to mention through the course of a single day. Your body has been with you for every moment of your life, big and small, and will continue to be a faithful companion until your time on earth comes to an end. God has created you for a purpose, and your physical body, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes, is part of that purpose.

How do I practice positive affirmations?

If you’re new to positive affirmations, here’s a quick “How To”.

When you find your mind or speech drifting to negative talk about your body, stop and literally say, “I am thankful for my body,” out loud. It’s important not just to think the positive affirmation, but to say it out loud. Audibly speaking these words of truth helps to further reinforce them in your heart and mind until you actually start believing them.

Some people find it more natural to say affirmations as a form of prayer. “Thank you, Lord, for my body. I am thankful for my body exactly the way You made it. I believe that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, just as Your Word says.” Even in a form of prayer, it’s important to speak these words out loud.

As with most other things in life, practice makes perfect. Don’t just practice an affirmation once or twice, but make it a daily part of your life. Post affirmations on the bathroom mirror or over the kitchen sink, and say them aloud when you are washing your hands or doing dishes. The more frequently you see and say these words, the sooner you will rewrite the soundtrack in your head.

If you’re ready to learn more about Engaging The Brain, Tongue, and Body in life-changing transformation, then it’s not too late to join the 7-Day Body For God Challenge. Our program includes 7 days of FREE training on health, fitness, and nutrition from our best-in-class mentorship team PLUS join a community of Christian believers challenging each other toward better health.

JOIN THE FREE 7-DAY BODY FOR GOD CHALLENGE!