Know ye not 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. — 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)
In this installment of our series, we continue the sacred battle to halt the diabetes epidemic. My mission through this column is to share a divine truth: Type 2 diabetes is not a death sentence, but a call to stewardship. Our bodies are not our own; they are borrowed vessels, and how we care for them is a form of worship. When we leave this disease unchecked, we allow the “temple” to fall into ruin.
When blood cannot flow through the small vessels of the heart or limbs, the body begins to perish. Scripture tells us that where there is no vision, the people perish, and physically, diabetes can lead to literal blindness, kidney failure, and the loss of limbs. When gangrene sets in or dialysis becomes a necessity, it is often because we have lost the battle of management.
But there is a path to redemption. You can prevent these disastrous ends by choosing a lifestyle of renewal. This isn’t about a temporary “diet” — it’s about a permanent shift in how we honor our Creator. It begins with knowing your A1C numbers and ends with the discipline of healthy eating and regular movement.
The statistics are a sobering “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin” — the handwriting is on the wall. According to the biblical account in Daniel 5, the words themselves refer to units of currency and weight, but the prophet Daniel interpreted them as verbs of judgment. This story is the origin of the common idiom “the handwriting is on the wall,” which refers to a clear sign that something is about to fail or come to an end. Let us think of Type 2 diabetes and all of its devastations as something guaranteed to happen when you do not know how to handle it. It is also even more important to know that the handwriting is on the wall when you follow the positive steps you can take to control Type 2 diabetes and avoid all of the devastations.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, under the leadership of Griffin P. Rogers, M.D., M.A.C.P. (an African American), reports that more than 30 million Americans have diabetes, and 84 million are walking the path of prediabetes. Many are suffering in the dark, unaware of the silent enemy within. Yet the power to turn this around is a gift God has placed in your own hands.
Take inspiration from those who have faced this giant. Years ago, Oprah Winfrey faced a prediabetic diagnosis. She didn’t just wish for a miracle; she did the work. By eliminating high-carb foods, curbing sweets, and embracing exercise, she lost 42 pounds and reclaimed her health. She understood that her life was worth the discipline.
Even with modern tools like Ozempic, which I am happy to say I have been taking for the past two years, the main cause of Type 2 diabetes is obesity. Though the foundation of how we must live — whether taking Ozempic or following your doctor’s orders as we previously have over the years — things remain the same: a commitment to life. I look back at my own mother, who lived only 12 years after her diagnosis. Of course, she obviously had Type 2 diabetes for years without any knowledge of it. Unfortunately, millions are still not diagnosed.
Twenty-five years ago, we didn’t have the knowledge or the medical advancements we have today. She suffered through amputations, dialysis, and strokes — all because of a lack of movement and an improper diet. Her struggle is my motivation to ensure your story ends differently.
History offers us a powerful lesson. A century and a half ago, our ancestors survived on “soul food” while performing grueling labor from sunup to sundown. As Dr. Sherita Hill Golden of Johns Hopkins points out, the masters often fell ill from “diseases of excess” while the enslaved remained physically resilient because they “worked off” everything they ate. Their survival was tied to their movement.
Today, we have the freedom to choose our path — but for many of us, that path leads to a sedentary job where we sit all day. We can stop fanning the flames of this epidemic by treating our bodies with the reverence they deserve. Let’s choose life, movement, and health.
Let us use that freedom to honor the Holy Spirit within us. Eat for strength, move for longevity, and treat your health as the blessing it truly is.
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, go to her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrantshowdc@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on X @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.
