Stewardship of My Body

“Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things.” 1 Timothy 4:7-8

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? … Therefore honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

            Potlucks. Ice cream socials. Sunday brunches. Fish fry. Does it ever end? One of the hallmarks of North American Christianity is fellowship over meals. In the movie “Field of Dreams” Kevin Costner’s character may have heard, “If you build it, they will come,” but in the North American church, we often hear, “If you feed them, they will come.”

            Like many people, I have seasons in which I eat well, and seasons in which I eat poorly. I have seasons in which I am physically active, and seasons in which I am sedentary. I have seasons in which I get proper rest and care for my body, and seasons when I don’t. Yet, as I have been considering stewardship issues, one of the concerns that I raise over and over again is one that we rarely consider – stewardship of our bodies.

            Yes, we know that our bodies are gifts of God. We know that we should treat them well and not misuse them. And we feel guilt or obligation to eat right, exercise, lose weight, etc. But why? That is a question that often is left unanswered. I recently heard Gary Thomas give an explanation for why on a Focus on the Family broadcast. Thomas said that we must be stewards of our bodies because if we add years to the body we have, we can add time to our ministries. I thought that was revealing and on point. We don’t want to lose weight just for sole purpose of feeling better about ourselves, do we?

            There are times when I feel like one of the Jews taken into captivity by the Babylonian king. You remember the story. Daniel and his friends are taken captive and led to Babylon. There, all of the Jewish young men, except for Daniel and his three friends, eat the king’s diet, which violated the Jewish food laws. Daniel and his friends ask to eat a different meal plan for seven days, at which time they are judges to be healthier than the rest of the group. It would be great to be Daniel. Instead, I feel like the rest of the group, sickly and unhealthy. I too often eat the king’s menu (sugars, processed food, soda, and other convenience foods). And, when the time comes to perform at peak levels, I am tired and unwell. What would my life and my ministry be like if I chose the more difficult path rather than the convenient path? How would I become a better steward of my time, talents, and body if I filled my physical body with the good foods God has provided?

            Last summer, I started the process of eating healthier. I decided that I would severely cut the amount of processed and refined sugars I consumed. Since that date, I have been more conscious of those foods I eat. I admit that I have not been as successful as I had hoped, but changing years of poor eating does take time. I have met some success, and I have for the most part greatly decreased my processed sugar intake. I have been able to limit sodas, and really, I can easily cut soda out of my diet. At times it has been difficult (and let’s be honest, costly) to find substitutes, but I think the effort has been worth it. I have felt more energy and I have, in general, felt healthier.

            Now it’s time for my next step. In addition to continuing to eliminate processed sugars from my diet, I also will start eliminating processed foods from my diet. That does mean that I have to wisely plan meals. That does mean that I will have to prepare some things beforehand. But, it is something that I feel compelled to do for a number of reasons. 1) I do want a healthy body to help further my ministry. 2) I want to set an example for my children that you can chose to eat and be healthy for the Lord. I also hope they learn that you can do difficult things with resolve. 3) I do want to be healthier so that I have more opportunity to watch my children grow up, get married (if they so choose), and start families of their own. I know that my life and the years of my life are not guaranteed. I know that changing eating habits will not guarantee a long life. But, it does increase the likelihood for a longer life in order to watch my children grow up, and launch their own lives.

            Now, if I could just tackle that exercise component.