How To Get Into Shape

We have now looked at the means to transform the heart. Next, we consider transformation of the body.

Our bodies are the delivery system of who we are. In a renovated life, our bodies have to be ready to do what is right, and hesitant to do what is wrong. Our bodies are not evil in themselves, but they sure get us in a lot of trouble! In the process of transformation, it may be the body that gets in the way most often.

Our bodies are given to us by God as a good thing. He honors our bodies so much he chose to come in a “body,” as Jesus. This is called “The Incarnation,” literally “taking on flesh.” Christianity does not teach the body is evil. There are other faith worldviews throughout  history that do, and so they teach we have to punish our bodies or pretend our bodies don’t exist, in order to achieve spiritual growth. Not so with Christianity.

At the same time, we don’t worship our bodies or give in to bodily desires, as is called for in some other religions. In fact, worship of the body may be one of the key “religions” or worldviews of modern society. At least, it looks that way in media and advertising. Future archeologists will think of our age as the time of the bare midriff, perfect butt, and “six-pack” abs.

The result of all this obsession with the body, and getting what we want through it, makes growing older a curse. All the dieting, exercise and plastic surgery in the world is not going to erase the fact that…

…we are all going to die.

Transforming our way of thinking about our bodies brings us to the path where our body is a servant rather than the master of who we are. It is the difference between a  bodily-focused life and a spiritually-focused life.

What are examples of when you were taught your body is “bad”?