I am part of the Christian Reformed Church; I have been my whole life. Regardless of the religion you practice, most religions acknowledge that the body is temporary and the deity is eternal.
I will be speaking in reference to the Christian faith, simply because that is in accordance with my beliefs and way of life.
Before you skip past this thinking, “what does this have to do with nutrition…?” just sit tight.
I have seen far too many faith-based organizations, churches, and/or church leaders who have become increasingly fixated on appearance–specifically, weight.
The justification for this fixation is often due to the words within various scriptures, much like 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 which states, “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.”
I am a firm believer that all of scripture is the Holy Word of God. But I am also a believer that we sinful humans often take the Word of God and try to squeeze it into a tiny box so our humanly brains can comprehend it.
Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Correct.
We must honor God with our bodies. Correct.
The issue is not found in the scripture, but the mind of human beings that have been influenced by diet culture and a weight discriminating society.
This scripture is telling us to treat our body as a holy temple. But many receive this as, “your body is a temple, don’t get fat.” or “your body is a temple, don’t eat cake.”
Let’s take a moment to reflect on a few other scriptures.
1 Timothy 4:8 says, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
1 Samuel 16:7 “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
The Bible also makes it clear that humans were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). We are even described as God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10).
It does not state, at any point, or in any recorded translation, that we are God’s masterpiece as long as we fit into a size 6 pants. It does not state that only the straight-sized, athletic-built, tall men were made in God’s image. What is does say, is that all humans were made in the image of God and we all are considered His masterpiece; no matter our size, shape, color, geographic origin, or physical capabilities.
Diving even deeper, Matthew 6:25 reminds us, “…do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”
And of course, the Bible also makes it clear that we are not to make any idols and that we cannot serve two “masters.”
Now, allow me to ask you…
Is the idea of physical health held in higher regard in your mind than God? Have you unknowingly appointed health and fitness as your master? Have you began to idolize thinness?
Our body is a temple. Yes, we are called to take care of it. But we are not called to live our lives consumed with anxiety over fatness, chasing after health trends, judging others and labeling it as being “concerned”, or holding others to a high regard simply because of their physical appearance.
How, then, should we care for God’s temple?
- Free yourself from anxiety by casting your worries upon Him
- Rest your body and mind so you can think clearly and to your fullest potential
- Remain properly hydrated and nourished, so the body that was designed for you can continue to sustain you and give you energy
- Continue in joyful movement, celebrating the physical capabilities you have been given
- Set aside time for quiet moments, where you can notice yourself and receive God’s truth–rather than the continuous and overwhelming clanging of society
We can feel passion for fitness. We can love nutrition (heck, I love it so much that I’m studying it for six years!). But we must make sure that our passions are not stemming from a place of internal or external judgement, anxiety, or covetousness. None of those things are of God.