MY BODY AND HEALTHY EATING

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” – 1 Corinthians 10:31

God is uniquely interested in the human BODY and HEALTHY EATING: ““Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor.10:31). The state of the body is critical to evaluating overall health. Scriptures give much significance to the body and its needs. David wrote: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My FRAME was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret…” (Psa.139:13-14). God knows our physical frames, and He desires us to do likewise: “For He knows our FRAME; He remembers that we are dust” (Psa.103:14).

The vital truth is that: My body belongs to God. It is His property, not mine. I don’t own it, He does. He created my body, and expects me to use it the way He designed for it to be used. (1Cor.6:12-20). Paul admonishes believers: “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship” (Rom.12:1). Sadly, many people treat their bodies in ways that do not indicate an awareness of being “fearfully and wonderfully made”! While contemporary culture is obsessed with physical beauty and sexy bodies, many believers ignore their bodies as if they don’t matter. But they do. Physical health relates to: the need for exercise, rest, right diet and nutrition, safety, and avoidance of substance abuse.

Today, our focus is on DIET or NUTRITION. Food is a gift from God. We use it to celebrate, to entertain, to nourish, to love, to show hospitality, and to care for people in tangible ways. of course, there are to overeating (and undereating), but food is a daily essential. When we bring God into our eating and strive to honour Him in our food and drink choices, it changes everything: it brings a heart change and change of desires. It is remarkable that one of the fundamental sacraments in Christianity – the breaking of bread – centres on food!

Early in creation, God underscored the significance of plants and vegetables in human and animal nutrition – “And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food” (Gen. 1:29). However, Noah’s diet changed after the flood (Gen.9:1-3). This seems to coincide with a dramatic drop in human lifespan! Daniel’s diet is another scriptural model to learn from. In a quest for health, the heathen king, his representatives, and Daniel and company, were concerned about their diet (Dan.1: 8-10). Their preference for vegetables and water proved to produce healthier and better nourished results (Dan.1:15-16).

We need to pay careful attention to our diet and nutrition habits: the need for adequate amount of daily water intake; daily servings of fruits and vegetables; balanced and nutritious meals; minimal intake or avoidance of caffeine and carbonated drinks, saturated fats, highly processed foods, and fast-food or ‘junk’ meals. Our diet has direct effect on Body Mass Index (BMI), which relates weight to height, and could indicate normal weight, overweight or obesity. BMI is an estimate of body fat and a good gauge of one’s risk for several debilitating diseases.

I am not the owner of my body, but a caretaker or steward, of it. Taking care of my body is an issue of spiritual stewardship. My life on earth is a test, trust, temporary assignment, and preparation for life in eternity. One day I will have to give an account for how well I managed everything God gave to me, including my body. I will stand before Him and have to answer the question, “What did you do with what I gave you?” – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the BODY, according to what he has done, whether be good or bad” (2 Cor.5: 10).