“My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them” (Ps. 139:15-16).
Our physical bodies are part of our being made in God’s image. Because of the fall, our bodies and spirits will be separated in death one day, but only temporarily. In God’s eternal kingdom, we will not be disembodied spirits floating on clouds, but physical humans reigning with Christ on a physical new earth. Thinking biblically about our bodies starts with recognizing that they matter.
In her article “10 Questions to See if You’ve Accidentally Become a Christian Gnostic,” Shannon Baker writes, “Physicality is our only means for encountering God—we can’t even think about him without dendrites and neurotransmitters—and when we lose our grip on that, the gospel shrinks. We undermine God’s commitment to his creation, the impact of resurrection, and the scope of what he wants to do in our lives—both today and in eternity.”
Yes, our bodies matter because they are the tents we inhabit as we live out God’s design for our lives. With our bodies, we serve God and fully experience the world he created, with all it has to offer to our five senses.
Detecting Lies About Our Bodies
It is easy to denounce transgenderism as a blatant rejection of God’s design and his exclusive right as our Creator to determine our gender. But do we recognize other lies about our bodies—lies that mirror the same rejection of God’s wise and good design?
On one hand, we’re told the bodies God gave us aren’t good enough—we must constantly seek to change them to fit society’s definition of beauty. Our culture tells us we’re more worthy or virtuous if we look a certain way, so we must restrict calories, punish ourselves with exercise if we eat too much or eat the “wrong” thing, and constantly seek to make ourselves smaller. This mindset can bring about a myriad of health issues that harm the bodies God gave us.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the body positivity movement promotes “health at every size” and ignores the health problems associated with obesity, lack of exercise, and the malnourishment that happens when we fill up on junk instead of the healthy fuel our bodies need. We’re told there’s no need to take care of our bodies; we’re perfect just the way we are.
How do we find the truth when our culture is lying to us at every turn? As with all things, we obey God’s instructions to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom. 12:2).
When we are bombarded with confusing messaging, we must focus on what God says about our bodies:
- God calls our bodies good. When he formed man and woman, the crown of his creation, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31).
- Our bodies are God’s dwelling place. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
- Our bodies are living sacrifices to God. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Rom. 12:1).
- We are called to discipline our bodies to make them useful for God’s purposes. “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable . . . I discipline my body and keep it under control” (1 Cor. 9:25-27).
- Longevity is good, only because it allows us to serve God and others longer—as Paul said, “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me . . . My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account” (Phil. 1:22-24).
- God expects us to nourish and cherish our bodies. Our natural inclination to nourish our bodies is God-given; Paul even uses it as an exhortation for husbands to love their wives as themselves: “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church” (Eph. 5:29).
- Physical ageing occurs in conjunction with spiritual growth. “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16).
- Our bodies will one day be resurrected. Jesus said, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40).
Whom Do We Really Love?
These issues are complicated, and perhaps we’ll always be wrestling with them to some extent while we still dwell in our fallen bodies. But Jesus’ command to love God and others can help inform our thinking in this area. We can ask ourselves, “Does this attitude reflect love for God and others?”
When we love ourselves more than we love God and others, we will:
Compare our bodies to others (whether people we know or images we see) in a spirit of criticism, envy, or pride. Spend time scrutinizing our bodies in the mirror and following media influencers who prompt us toward unbiblical thinking. Turn down the food others serve us when it doesn’t fit our standards (even when food allergies aren’t an issue). Avoid exercise out of laziness—or on the other extreme, overexercise to comply with some cultural aesthetic standard. Deprive our bodies of nourishment in pursuit of cultural beauty ideals, chasing a number on the scale at the cost of our health. Overindulge in junk food, living as “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:4). |
When we love God and others more than we love ourselves, we will:
Refuse to compare ourselves, but rather appreciate God’s image in each person we encounter. Spend time using our bodies for good and thanking God for the countless things he has enabled our bodies to do. Enjoy the food served to us with gratitude, in a spirit of joyful fellowship and celebration. Exercise for longevity, strength, and mobility so we can serve God and others as long as possible. Nourish our bodies and enjoy food as a good gift from God, seeking help if we find ourselves trapped in a disordered eating pattern. Practice self-control in our eating habits, wisely choosing foods that benefit our bodies without making health an idol. |
Photo by Elisa Photography on Unsplash