I look into the eyes of my children each day, so precious and innocent. I care for them so deeply and everything that involves them concerns me. I have to know that they are taken care of and that they are getting the best foods to help them grow. If we feel this way as parents, it’s safe to assume that God feels the same way about us.
Unfortunately, many of us think that faith and food have no connection and that God could care less about whether we exercise or not. This is just not true.
Because of this thinking we take on the mindset of the world when it comes to living healthy; going on diets and exercising simply to look a certain way. But the truth is, God did leave us with notions of nutrition and assertions on activity.
Initially, God gave us specific items for food such as plants that are seed bearing.
Seed bearing means it’s not found in a package and laced with preservatives and coloring. These seed bearing foods include fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts. God gave us the seed bearing foods as our original means of nutrition. But this is what the doctors have been telling us all along right? Well the Bible confirms it.
What about meat you say? Well, after the Fall of Man, we were given meat as food. God tell us the types of meats that are best for us. The pig is not to be eaten and neither is shellfish but birds are acceptable except the owl, hawks and bats. Cows and other animals with divided hoofs that chew the cud, defined as to chew the food over again, as a cow; to ruminate; hence, to meditate, are listed as acceptable (Free Dictionary).
Do keep in mind that people weren't eating cow every day. It was more of a celebratory meal. In other words, it was eaten on occasion. Please make note of that; eat more lean meats on a daily basis and if you have to have beef, have it occasionally.
Now I know some might say , “That’s under the law and the Old Testament so it doesn’t apply to the born again Christian.” You have to believe that if God made these specifications in that time, then those same precepts are useful for us today.
But if you feel this way, here is another way to look at it. When God gave us everything to eat as food, there was no such thing as a candy bar and French fries. He gave us the things that He created for food, not the things that man made.
Studies continue to show that man made foods, chemically processed, genetically modified and cheaply made, are causing many of the health problems we are facing. Why? It’s because our bodies weren’t designed to eat these things.
The Bible also mentions exercise, in case you thought that wasn’t in there, “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.” The Message Bible says, “Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever.”
Exercise was not much of a focus because perhaps people weren’t as lazy as they are today. People didn’t drive everywhere or sit on the couch watching TV all day and lifestyles required more activity. But what we do see in the 1 Timothy scripture is that exercise does have value and that this type of activity is useful and beneficial.
Lastly, keep in mind that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. 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.
Honor God with your body by taking care of it. Make it a clean and healthy dwelling place not a junk yard. What use is the power of God dwelling within a sick vessel? What benefit is that to the kingdom?
