Over the weekend we were with some of our church family for lunch. While it wasn’t unusual to talk about food during lunch, I was pleasantly surprised when the topic of food and healthy eating came up. It was a really good (in my opinion really necessary) conversation. And no, I didn’t bring it up. I don’t ever really bring up this topic when we’re out to eat with others or really much at all unless someone asks me first or brings it up first. Matter of fact, my husband and I have a little policy that when someone invites us over to their home, we graciously enjoy whatever food that is set before us in gratitude. And in the name of full disclosure, I feel like I’ve been overdoing it with this policy. Usually when we go out, I let myself enjoy some of whatever is available, and it won’t be a problem if I was only out once in a great while. That’s not the case though. I feel like I’ve been eating a lot of unhealthy food too frequently lately. And it’s not because there wasn’t healthier options either. While I started out with good intentions, I feel like overtime I just took advantage of the opportunity to indulge myself in foods that I wouldn’t allow myself to eat at home. And as much as I pride myself in being flexible when out, I really feel like it’s doing me more harm than good since it’s happening so often. The more unhealthy I eat outside, not only do I feel not my best health-wise after, but it also negatively affects my motivation level even at home. While I still eat a predominantly plant-based diet (plant-based plus eggs specifically) at home, I’ve just not been as focused on giving my body the best. Even my water intake has taken a drastic plunge. And I find that in this matter, if I’m not careful to stand for something, cliche as it sounds, I’ll fall for anything. The healthier I eat, the healthier I want to eat, the more focused I am on living a healthy lifestyle. So I’ve to regroup and set a new standard for myself so I don’t fall into indiscipline. But first, I always like to remind myself why I’m taking a particular decision/stance. Hence this blogpost, which has actually been sitting in my queue of notes for a good while.
Am I the only one who finds it ironic that Christians aren’t the most fit or at the very least, the most health-conscious group of people? Generally speaking, and sadly, seems to me that as a group, we’re the least likely to prioritize taking good care of our bodies. But a healthy lifestyle and Christianity needn’t be mutually exclusive. As diverse as the reasons may be, it all boils down to one thing- we don’t think it’s important because it’s not a spiritual matter. In fact some even consider taking care of the body by exercise to be vain. You’ve heard it many times, probably have said it yourself too “we’re all gonna die one day anyways. Besides the kingdom of heaven has nothing to do with our size.” Could it be that we’re quick to shun the topic because it challenges some of our most deeply rooted forms of idolatry? We need to change our mentality with regards to healthy living, first of all. We will all die one day should the Lord tarry, but that doesn’t mean we sit there just wasting away till we die. We don’t take this approach in any other area of our lives. We don’t say oh I’m gonna die anyways so let me just not work or let me just not eat or let me not shower after all I only get dirty again. How come we only run to this excuse when it comes to healthy living?
Well, while living healthy may not seem like a spiritual issue on the surface, I’d argue it actually is. No, it doesn’t determine salvation and has no bearing on salvation but being a disciple of Jesus isn’t just about getting saved and going to heaven. It’s about how we live after He saves us, while we’re still on this earth and how the Gospel changes every area of our lives. The Kingdom of heaven isn’t about the size of our body indeed but our healthy living shouldn’t be merely about the size of our bodies neither, therefore that excuse isn’t valid either. A healthy lifestyle is a lifestyle of intentionality and discipline; hence, the irony of the multitude of unhealthy Christians considering we are commanded to be disciplined and self-controlled countless times in scripture. More on this later..
REASONS WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD PURSUE HEALTHY LIVING:
1. Good stewards of body.
1 Corinthians 6:20 says “you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” Yes, I realize that in that particular context, it is specifically referring to the issue of sexual immorality but that doesn’t change the fact that we were bought at a price and must honor our bodies. So of course that begs the question, is living a healthy life honoring to God? Or is it more honoring to God to choose to be unhealthy? The answer is obvious but just in case you need more inspiration, in that same book a few chapters later it says “so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) Again the question is, do you eat for the glory of God or do you eat for the pleasure of your flesh? Zechariah 7:6 : ” “When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?”
I stated above that a healthy lifestyle is a lifestyle of intentionality and discipline; but for the Christian there’s more to it. It is not the end but the means to our desired end- glorifying God. So for the Christian a healthy lifestyle is one of intentionality, discipline and self-control to the glory of God. It is important to make this distinction because I believe one of the reasons we are complacent is that we don’t filter out the world’s definition. To an unbeliever, it may very well be acceptable to put a lot of junk into the body and exercise a lot to maintain an “acceptable” weight. But is that befitting for a Christian? If our aim is to please God with how we treat our bodies, then we won’t just obsess over the superficial vain aspects. I’m afraid we buy into the world’s standards too often. For example, as aforementioned I’ve been undisciplined lately with what I consume. However I still have had people commenting about how skinny I am in a complementary way. Bless their hearts! My point is that man is limited in what we can see. We can only see the outward appearance but God sees the heart. God isn’t looking at who is skinny and who is heavier. God isn’t concerned with the numbers on the scale. He is however looking at our hearts and the things we idolize in there. Some of us it’s food. Some of us it’s the applause of humans and vain glory we seek. Women put themselves through all manner of stuff to fit a standard laid out by the world. There’s many gluttonous men who live day and night at the gym, in search of vain glory. We must be able to filter out what’s of the world and what’s of God. Even though we may be seen eating the same things as unbelievers or partaking of similar activities, our motivation must be different. It’s impossible to sin in what we’re doing so far as we’re doing it with the right mentality- to the glory of God. The fact that some unbelievers take good care of their bodies in a vain way doesn’t relieve us from the responsibility of being good stewards of ours.
This first point of course should be plenty sufficient but there’s more.
2. Food shouldn’t be a stronghold in our lives. Did you know that gluttony is a sin? Although Christians like to overlook that sin, the Bible doesn’t. We usually think of drunkenness being a sin but conveniently overlook the sin of being ruled by food. Whether we are filled with wine or filled with food, if we are at a point where we can’t imagine life without consuming any particular thing, I think rather than mask our problem with spiritual verbiage, we should be real with ourselves. I think the mistake we make is assuming that Gluttony is a sin because of eating too much. I believe the heart of the sin of gluttony isn’t about the quantity of food you eat necessarily but why you’re eating it and why you’re eating that portion. It’s a matter of the heart, it’s about making our appetite/belly our god. Constantly filling your body with things that you know plainly are bad for your health simply because it tastes good to you. Sound familiar?
“Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame— who set their mind on earthly things.”-Philippians 3: 18-19
Contrary to the popular misconception, Paul seems to be admonishing the Philippians that since they are citizens of Heaven, not to follow the patterns of those that are enemies of the cross. What patterns? These enemies of the cross, people who were doomed for destruction, happened to have also made their bellies their god, definitely not a pattern Christians should emulate.
3. To have the energy to do what God has called us to do:
I find it rather significant that in the scripture above from Philippians, it mentions that people whose god is their appetites set their minds on earthly things. I think it’s no coincidence.It’s correlated because the more heavenly minded we are, the more we will be about the business of God. Jesus commissioned us to preach the gospel and make disciples. The early apostles and church took this to heart and preached near and far. I can’t help but ask myself, imagine if Paul was weak and tired all the time from all the crap he fed his body. Imagine Jesus being so physically unfit that he could barely walk a flight of stairs much less travel from village to village on foot preaching about the Gospel. Imagine Jesus being so addicted to food that he couldn’t imagine fasting one day let alone 40 days! Oh and after 40 days without food and being tempted with food, can a Jesus addicted to food have been victorious over Satan’s temptation?
One of my favorites is Jonathan Edwards, who was distinguished not just as a Phenomenal preacher and revivalist but a very disciplined man. Edwards was so committed to His duty to God that he penned 70 resolutions* that he read over weekly.
Resolution 20 reads “Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.”
Resolution 40: ” Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.”
In my specific case as a mom and wife for example, all the above apply. But practically speaking, it’s literally impossible for me to live out my calling in these roles without good health. Being a wife and mom is a tall order. I have A LOT on my plate and I need energy, strength, stamina to be able to perform my duties toward my family. Even writing requires cognitive health which is affected by what I put into my body and how I treat it. Not to mention that I want to live long enough to take great care of my family and see great greatgrandkids. Truth is that God is sovereign and He decides when to call me home. But with however much time He gives me, I want a good quality life not a sickly one. I don’t want to just literally be wasting away as the days go by. I want to LIVE. To borrow Jonathan Edwards’ words, my desire and resolve is “to live with all my might, while I do live.”
There are more reasons to explore that I’ll save for another blogpost. Motherhood beckons …
In His light& Love,
Ivy
* Curious what the remainder of his resolutions were? Click here