1. Feature Article: "The Spiritual Significance of Physical Health for
Christians"
Today's article comes from the Renewed Man Boot Camp. Renewed Man is a systematic teaching and coaching series designed to help men grow emotionally, relationally, and spiritually ... developing the essential character quality of "self-mastery." Even though this community is created for men, the principles
are universal -- women will benefit from these insights as well.
We build this teaching around 12 Keys, and this week, we're focusing on Key 11:
PHYSICAL WELL BEING. Here's how we put it:
11. PHYSICAL WELL BEING - We cultivate our physical energy
and health. We do this by committing -- or recommitting -- to: (a) some kind of sound and healthy eating strategy (b) some kind of sane plan for physical movement and exercise.
Here's one of the daily messages from this week's teaching series. I hope this will help you:
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"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, honor God with your bodies." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Why do we care so much about our physical health and
well-being? Why go against the grain of our culture, making sacrifices and investing the time and effort, so we can be physically fit? These are important questions, and the answers seem obvious, but I have another factor to add to the equation.
From the standpoint of our simple, normal, universal human desires, there are pretty obvious answers to these WHY questions. We want to live longer. We want to feel good, to have positive energy. We care about our appearance.
But often, this isn't enough motivation for us.
Why care about physical health and fitness? Why does this matter ... from a spiritual standpoint? Indian spiritual teacher Malti Shetty put it this way:
"Food plays a
vitally important role in the lives of all beings. It is almost as though life and food are synonymous. However, when discipline is left out of the equation, death and food become synonyms. The very food that gives life can also become the source of death when there is no discipline in eating.
"For this reason, spiritual teachers have placed great emphasis on discipline in eating. This means controlling the insatiable desire of the taste buds for sensation and controlling the impulse to keep the stomach full at all times."
As someone who's struggled with health and weight for much of my adult life, these are challenging words! So those are words from a teacher in the East, but what about the West? What about Christian
teaching?
THIS IS HARD TO TALK ABOUT
We don't talk about physical health very much in churches these days. It would seem pretty hypocritical to do so, given the fact that (a) many of us church leaders are out of shape ourselves, and (b) many of our church gatherings include large doses of unhealthy food! But there's more going on
here.
1. This is hard to talk about because it seems like such an intractable problem today. We live at a time where very smart people, from very well-funded food companies, continue to create all kinds of "food" concoctions that hijack our tastebuds and neurochemistry … and override our normal food regulation.
Not just in America, but around the world -- especially in developed nations -- there is an exploding epidemic of obesity. We need help with this. We need encouragement.
2. It's hard to talk about because we don't want to make people feel more guilty than they already do. Please note: what I'm about to say here is NOT meant to add more layers of guilt. Most of us
feel bad about our poor eating and exercise habits. In fact, I would go so far as to say that MOST people I know feel bad MOST of the time about this. By "feel bad" I mean: feel guilty, feel like they've "got to make some changes soon," and feel worried about their health.
We don't need more guilt. We are loved by God and forgiven by God. Being out of control with our food doesn't make us any less valuable or lovable.
That said, is there any more motivation -- from a spiritual standpoint -- about this? I think there is. Think about these factors. Maybe these will help you stay on the path.
1. Stewardship of the Gift
When God created mankind, He entrusted us with
the gift of our bodies. The apostle Paul calls on us to honor our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). As stewards of this divine gift, we bear the responsibility to care for it diligently. Just as we tend to our souls through prayer and devotion, we should nurture our bodies through our nutrition and exercise. We can choose better nutrition, and find ways of getting more movement in our lives. By maintaining good physical health, we honor God's creation and demonstrate
our gratitude for the gift of life.
2. Our Physical Well-being Affects our Spiritual Life
Our physical and spiritual well-being are deeply interconnected. When we neglect our bodies, it can have adverse effects on our spiritual life. In other material in this program, we've repeatedly made the
point that current research continues to reveal an unmistakable connections between poor nutrition and exercise habits and bad mental health. For example, one of today's leading researchers on the connection between mental and physical health -- John Ratey -- says that not exercising is like taking a depressant pill.
Poor health leads to fatigue, reduced mental clarity, and
general physical limitations that hinder our ability to serve God effectively. By making physical fitness a priority, we enhance our overall well-being, allowing us to better fulfill our spiritual tasks and live out our calling.
3. Honoring God in all Aspects of Life Can Inspire Others
Christianity
teaches us that our faith is not confined to the walls of a church. It permeates every aspect of our lives. Our commitment to physical health is an extension of our dedication to God. By caring for our bodies, we demonstrate respect for the vessel through which God works (see #1). But not only is this true, but this dedication has an effect on the people around us. When we prioritize our physical fitness, we set an example for others and inspire them to embrace a holistic approach to
faith.
Research has shown this principle in reverse. Strange as it seems to say, obesity is contagious. A much-sited study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine pointed out
that when an
individual becomes obese, that person's friends now have a 57% greater likelihood of becoming obese themselves. For a variety of reasons, this influence seems stronger among friends than family members, even spouses.
4. Fostering Discipline and Self-Control
Physical fitness requires discipline and self-control, virtues that align with Christian principles. The apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 9:27, "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest
after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." Self-control (aka self-mastery) is a hallmark of this Renewed Man program. It's listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as one of the fruits of the Spirit in our lives. By exercising self-discipline in our physical pursuits, we cultivate spiritual discipline as well. The habits we develop in the pursuit of physical health
spill over into other areas of our lives, strengthening our commitment to Christ.
5. Increased Capacity to Serve Others
As Christian men, we are called to serve others. A strong and healthy body enables us to fulfill this calling with vigor and endurance. Doing anything requires ENERGY. When we are overweight, under-exercised, and our bodies are not nourished by healthy food, the KEY result is lack of energy. As we've talked about in other places in this program, engaging in physical activities boosts our mood and energy levels ... which empowers us to
make a difference in the world by serving God and others. When we prioritize our physical health, we increase our capacity to serve God and our fellow human beings effectively.
To
sum up: The importance of physical health for Christians cannot be overstated. By caring for our bodies, we demonstrate gratitude to God for His gift, cultivate holistic well-being, honor Him in all aspects of life, foster discipline and self-control, and equip ourselves to serve others. Keep in mind, the motivation here isn't that we get shredded and become vain
about our bodies. Rather this is a means to strengthen our spiritual journey and glorify God in all that we do.
NEXT ACTION
Today's recovery action is to think of someone you know -- either know personally or know of -- who seems to fit the description from Nixon's quote above. Do you know of someone who seems to be well off, but lacking purpose? Someone outwardly successful, but inwardly seems to be empty?
The point of this exercise is not to judge -- after all, we don't know
someone's inner life. At the same time, it's helpful to take the truth that is being shared in the quote and make it personal. Let this serve as a reminder about the importance of having a meaningful, positive
purpose.
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Would you like to go "all in" and join the Renewed Man Boot Camp? It's a 12 Week Immersion in these principles. You'll get these daily teachings, a weekly video on one of the 12 Keys of Being a Renewed Man, and access to a support group and/or a coaching group that I lead.
Find out more about the
Renewed Man Program here.
