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In our culture, we tend to have two extremes with how we view our bodies.
On one hand, we think too little of our physical bodies and our health and this leads to gluttony and laziness. On the other, we think too much of our bodies, treating them harshly or in ways which can lead to disorders such as anorexia. Both lead to dangerous consequences. And, as Christians, we've done a pretty sad job of establishing a God-honoring ethic of health.
God created our bodies in His image according to His design. He created us with not only the ability to work according to His purpose, but to flourish within His created order. How we live within this framework leads to either negligence or worship.
The truth is, how we treat our bodies is an act of worship.
Paul urges, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Romans 12:1
Honoring God's creation (our bodies) gives glory and praise to God, an act of thanksgiving for all He has done for us.
Not only did He breathe life into our bodies at the creation of the world, but because we chose to live outside of His perfect will, He redeemed our sinful bodies by taking on HUMAN FLESH, living and suffering in our place, sacrificing His body on the cross, rising again, defeating sin and death FOR US. He will come again IN THE FLESH and raise our PHYSICAL, mortal bodies-His creation-and clothe us with an ETERNAL BODY that will be PHYSICALLY present with Him for all eternity. I'd say our bodies are indeed important to our Lord.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11
We are to use our bodies in service to one another.
Jesus says that the greatest commandment is this: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27.
This is the law of Christ. He sacrificed His very BODY and demonstrated His great love for us. There is no greater love than that!
When we care for our bodies, we are equipped and empowered to serve others in ways that may be more difficult or not possible to serve if our health is neglected.
I love this quote by Martin Luther:
It is the part of the Christian to take care of his own body for the very purpose that, by its soundless and wellbeing, he may be enabled to labor, and to acquire and preserve property, for the aid of those who are in want, that thus the stronger member may serve the weaker member, and we may be children of God, and busy for one another, bearing one another's burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ.
How we treat our bodies has more to do with our hearts than the content of our plates.
Sin has twisted and corrupted our hearts, making them desire to be in control. In the Garden of Eden, the devil used the lie that disobedience of God's will would lead to being like God.... but it led to being our own god. Our hearts were infected with the desire to be in control, to do our own thing, and now our choices are tainted with sin and selfishness.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Deuteronomy 17:9
The One who created the heart, has the power to transform it.
Left to ourselves, we will always choose sin. But the Holy Spirit transforms our hearts and works within us to will and to act according to God's purpose. (Philippians 2:13)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
We are no longer slaves to sin and Satan's lies. What we could not do for ourselves, Christ did for us. He is the Great Physician.
We now live in victory and grace.
To be sure, Satan will continue tempt us with his lies. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. He would love nothing more than to tempt us into making poor choices to destroy our health. He wants to hinder us from fulfilling God's plan in any way he can. Our health is a prime target. But he has no dominion over us. The Spirit enables us to overcome his lies, and even in our weakness, gives us the power to live for God's glory and not our own.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:12-14
This side of heaven we will continue to struggle with sin. We are sinners. We will fail. But because we are in Christ, there is no condemnation, only forgiveness and grace.
Through the love of Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to live in the newness of life that has been won for us. We are able to make healthy choices, using God's gifts of food and movement to honor our bodies, to give glory to God and to serve others.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
Your body and your health matter to God. By His grace, we are able to do all things for His glory through Christ who strengthens us.
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