God Talks- Does God Care if You're Fit?

By Chelsea Rowell of Chelsea Gets Fit

Before you jump on me with all that, “Man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart” stuff, let me say that I already know. That’s not the point of this article.

The purpose of this article is to look into what the Bible really has to say about fitness, nutrition, and overall health and well being of the human body. So many people have told me, “God wants me to be happy, so I can eat what I want!” To which I reply, “gag me.” Another popular line I hear is, “Working out and getting in shape isn’t for the glory of God, it’s for the glory of YOU…” Again, puh-lease. Give me a break. These are just two examples of Christianized excuses and are more than likely taking God’s name in vain…or LAME. Contrary to popular belief, sola feels is not one of the "sola's" of Christian theology.

That being said, let’s see what God has told us about how HE feels (not us as individuals or as a society feel) about the way we take care of our bodies!

1. GOD LIVES IN YOU (Gal. 2:19-20; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 9:27)

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you are not the only one living inside your skin. Christ actively is living in you and wanting to live through you. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, as well. If Jesus walked up to you one day and said, “Hey, friend. I love you and think we should live together so that I can be a constant Helper to you! Will you build a house for us?” Would you build a little shack out of rotten boards and old nails? Would you build a frail house made of sticks and stones and probably cardboard covering the patches trying to keep rain out? Would you build the house out of little carved idols that you worship made of silver and gold and say, “Hey, God, ignore the fact that I love these idols more than I love you, look how beautiful they are! Aren’t you glad I did this for me…I mean you??” OF COURSE NOT!!!!

Christian, the Creator of the Universe and the Author and Finisher of our faith deserves more than a beaten-down little shack. He deserves a well-crafted, well-thought out, strong, and sturdy place to dwell. Build your temple to glorify HIM.

2. GOD VALUES PHYSICAL TRAINING (1 Tim. 4:8)

Now, note that the verses says that bodily training is of some value, because a right relationship with God holds more value than any other thing in the Universe. But it is interesting that this phrase is even in the Bible, telling us that God does value physical fitness. If He didn’t, the verse would say, “…bodily training is of no value…” or, “…bodily training is worthless…” or, it probably just would use a completely different analogy altogether.

3. GOD CARES ABOUT YOUR BODY (1 Thess. 5:23)

“Now may your whole spirit, soul, and BODY be kept blameless until the coming of our Lord…” God wants our spirit, our soul, and our body. Many Christians, myself included, believe that humans are a trichotomy (made up of three parts being body, soul, and spirit), as opposed to being made up of two parts (dichotomy-soul/spirit and body). The reason I bring that up is because--one, it’s super cool that God would make us in His image (being made of three parts) and also because IF we are made of spirit, soul, and body, then we are responsible for each of those things. God cares about what we do with our bodies. If He didn’t, He probably wouldn’t warn against sexual immorality quite so much. ANYWAY moving along, that brings us straight into the next point.

4. YOU WERE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE (Psalm 139:14)

Not only did God make us in His image, He was so careful and constructed each of us as individual masterpieces, created through Christ to do good works which He has prepared in advance for us. We are to THANK HIM, says the Psalmist, because His works are excellent. The Psalm goes on to say that God made each of us skillfully, and that each of our days were ordained for usbefore we ever lived a single one of them. God worked so, so hard on each of us, creating us each for unique and genuinely good purposes. We are His masterpieces, His handiwork. And He has entrusted each of us to RESPECT and CARE FOR ourselves while we are here on earth. That means that we ought not put ourselves down or demean ourselves, and that we ought to do what we can to keep ourselves in tip top shape so that when Christ returns we will not be like the unwise servant who buried his talents in the ground, but rather like the wise servants who invested the talents that were entrusted to them while the master was away. (Matt 25:14-30

So, you see, God really does care about what you do with your bodies. He also cares about how you view your bodies. I personally struggle SO MUCH with self-doubt and with negative self esteem, which is a quite apparent pride issue. It is not right to think of yourself as any less than anyone else. And it breaks the heart of God. Just as it breaks the heart of God when He looks down on His children doing things that are harmful to the beautiful bodies He has crafted for them.

You can see more of Chelsea's work at Chelsea Gets Fit. We here at FRANK Talks are huge proponents of growing in all areas of life (Spirit, Intellect, Health, Occupation, Social, and Financial), and are so glad to have Chelsea tackle this subject. 

Biblical veracity

In apologetics, one issue has always been interesting to me: Biblical veracity. (How do we know that the Bible is true?) Four years ago I was introduced to the cosmological argument, which really simplified and solidified my confidence in God's existence. Still, I couldn't figure out: why the Bible? Why do Christians cling to it? Is it reasonable to treat the Bible as authoritative in all areas of life? Where does this book come from? Why should anyone believe it? I don't have all the answers. In fact, I would like to study apologetics in graduate school, and focus specifically on this issue. But before I do that, let me share some things I have already learned on the subject.

This post only covers the premise for my argument of biblical veracity, and a few sources to help you along on your own research.

Paradigms

You could also use the word narrative, or worldview. These are different terms, but for the purpose of this discussion they can be interchangeable. We all have a paradigm through which we view the world. You can deny religion, by saying that you are an atheist (or just non-religious or whatever), but everyone has a paradigm through which they view the world. Atheists may tend to adopt a purely empirical (naturalistic) paradigm which denies anything supernatural... and they may also chose a side of an objective ethical theory to go with that (like deontology or utilitarianism).

Now although our paradigms are embedded into our very psyche, let’s pretend that you were to detach from it and (possibly) choose a new one. There are at least two things that your paradigm should be. First, the paradigm should be logically coherent within itself. Now, I think that we are fallible humans, so there may always be incoherencies in our personal reasoning, but we should seek to have paradigms which are as coherent as possible. Any religion or paradigm will have questions or problems to solve. Secondly, we want to find the paradigm which best matches the evidence. It can't just look good in theory, it must match the way things actually are in reality.

My Premise

Now, of course, I would argue that the Christian paradigm is the one that fits this criteria. Of course it would take me years of study to get a grasp on the subject, and an entire book to explain it sufficiently. Hopefully, I will be able to do that another day. I also do not have enough time (or expertise) to write on the origins of the Christian Bible.

Aren’t there contradictions?

Theologians have studied the Bible for centuries to form a paradigm from its texts. You may object "what about all the contradictions in the Bible? Don't they make biblical Christianity an incoherent paradigm?" Well, historians and theologians and other thinkers have found explanations for many of these apparent contradictions. If you search for it, you can probably find plausible answers to virtually all of your questions.

Furthermore, as with life, there are paradoxes: phenomenon that seem to be a contradiction (like light being both a wave and a particle) but are not. These apparent contradictions are only signs of our limited understanding. No matter what you believe (atheism, Christianity, Islam) none of us has it all figured out. We are all still learning.

In Closing

So that is the premise for my argument: the paradigm set forth by the Bible (when interpreted correctly) is the paradigm which best matches reality. Keep your eyes open for my book, which maybe I'll release in the next ten years on the origins of the Scriptures, and my arguments for their veracity.

Further Research

In the meantime I would recommend Me, The Professor, Fuzzy, and The Meaning of Life and Evidence that Demands a Verdict. The first is written as a comic book, targeted to a younger audience, and gives two solid syllogistic arguments: one for the existence of God, and one for the Christian religion. The second book is much more deep, but it talks about the origin of the Scriptures and evidence for the Christian faith.

Why don't you stop mixing religion and politics?

No.

I will not separate religion and politics in my blog.

I struggled with this for a while, but I have come to my decision. I am going to bypass the argument that this is my blog, and if you are reading this, you are presumably wanting to hear my POV. Instead I want to focus on why these subjects are inseparable.

I thought that maybe in my blog I should focus on one and leave the other out. If I wrote a political blog, I wouldn't want to alienate conservative/libertarian atheists. If I continued with religious themes, I wouldn't want to offend my non-political or liberal fellow-Christians. However, as I write this blog about living a holistic life, I find these two subjects (which happen to be two of my favorite) to be inseparable. Why can't I keep them separate? Because what you believe about one, effects what you believe about the other.

My political views are deeply founded in my religious beliefs. Conversely, many have had their religious beliefs shaped by a political ideologies.

For instance my political views on pro-life (I believe it's not just a personal conviction, but a human rights issue) are shaped by the JudeoChristian idea that life begins at conception. I am not an anarchist, because I believe that government has a legitimate role mentioned in Scripture (Genesis 9, Romans 13). From those same passages I get my stance on the death penalty, explaining why I am both pro-life and pro-capital punishment (the death penalty needs to at least be an option). Could I justify these positions without appealing to "some old book"? Sure, but if you dig deep enough, the underlying reasons will always biblical for me.

As I said, on the flip side, many have had their religious views warped by political ideas. There is a great fictitious example of this in the Fiddler on the Roof. In one scene the Marxist, Perchik, is teaching two of the sisters from the Bible, the account of Jacob and Laban. At the end, he concludes the moral of the story is that businessmen are evil and will always screw you over. Whether or not you belief the leftist maxim that businessmen and the wealthy are evil, this is not the point of the biblical story. As in this fictitious example, many people warp the Bible to fit their political ideology.

Still not convinced? There are other examples still, like slavery. Today, skeptics will try to tell you that the Bible endorses slavery. It does not. Historians agree that slavery in ancient times was different from modern slavery. The Bible mostly treats this type of slavery as an undesirable social reality. The institution of the Sabbath Law gave dignity to slaves: God commanded that they get a day off. God makes a point to remind the Israelites that He delivered them out of slavery. In Psalms 103:6 we see that God is on the side of those who are oppressed. Jesus said that his mission was to set the captives free, and Paul wrote an entire book of the Bible to persuade Philemon to free one of his slaves.

Despite all of this many Christians, even devout and revered Christians, defended the institution of slavery. They made false arguments from the Bible to support their views. Slavery remained pervasive in America, and the supporters became increasingly adamant. Meanwhile, the Abolitionist Movement grew, fueled by the religious revival of the Great Awakening. As this movement grew, the (current) Republican Party was formed to end the institution of slavery. The Democrats unanimously (and passionately) took the position of defending slavery. Don't believe me? I am begging you to go look it up.

What always shocked me when I was in high school American history class, was the number of upstanding Christian men who supported slavery. Now I can't judge their hearts, but I would argue that some of these guys were not down right evil. Instead, they were upstanding men with a major flaw: they were socialized into a political ideology which warped their religious views.

(There are plenty of other examples I could go into on how politics warping theology. The other examples are a little more involved. I would need to first support my theological position biblically. Then, I would need to show how political ideology warped that doctrine. I might also need to show why that particular idea political is wrong. With slavery I can at least assume that most of my readers believe that slavery is wrong.)

So there you have it. The two are inseparable. I can make a non-religious argument for why I hold a certain social or political view, but my morals are guided by my religion. Furthermore, my religion causes me to take action on certain political issues. This is why I write, to bring awareness of these issues.

God Talks- Wisdom

What is the most important trait for any person to have? You might argue that it would be love, and you could provide good reasoning for that view. However, I'd like to propose that the most important trait for anyone to have is wisdom. Proverbs 4:7 says "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." This verse is saying that wisdom is one of the most important things to go after. Even for the non-believer, who, by seeking true wisdom can come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. Once born-again, the person will acquire traits like love, and other fruits of the spirit.

I am reminded of a book I read in Bible college which asked "What is the best question ever?" Before you do anything, you ought to ask "is this the wisest thing to do?"

So, wisdom is the most important trait for a person to have. In Proverbs 2:4 were are encouraged to seek wisdom,which is personified in the feminine form. "If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures..." Could you imagine if people sought wisdom like some single people seek out a significant other? Also, if you knew that there was buried treasure in your backyard, what would you do? Would you dig one hole and call it a day? Or would you tear up your entire backyard until you found that treasure?

Seek knowledge

So how do we obtain wisdom? First, we must do something more basic. First we must seek knowledge. "An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge" (Proverbs 18:15). The wise man seeks knowledge. The same idea is echoed in Proverbs 15:14. The type of knowledge spoken of here is open ended; it includes not just knowledge of God, but knowledge about every subject. We have a serious problem in our culture with people not caring to learn. Our society has amassed so much information, but this upcoming generation has no desire to sift through it and find the Truth. They are more than comfortable to live off the benefits of this knowledge, and curse the very foundations that it comes from.

As this video and Proverbs 2:4 suggest we cannot be lazy in this pursuit of knowlege. The word "seek" implies that knowledge is active. We are to actively seek new truths, just like you would search for treasures hidden throughout your backyard. We should seek knowledge in all disciplines (including theology, philosophy, history, science, language, arts). Stretch your mind by learning about subjects that are not your forté. The word knowledge in these verses could also be translated "understanding", so we aren't to just memorize new facts, but also seek to understand these concepts in a deeper way. Finally, the wise man doesn't seek knowledge, just to have a big head about it, but to use what he has learned to better himself, others, and to bring glory to God.

A while back I did a bit of research on ways to improve you IQ. There are two tips that I'd like to highlight: (1) read, (2) don't stop learning. That's why I read articles and non-fiction books all the time. Even fiction can be good, when it's used as an allegory for reality.

Another way that we learn is through the opinions of others.

Be Reasonable – Listen to others

That's the key to being reasonable: being willing to listen to others. If you can listen to what others have to say (not just letting them talk while you think of other things) you might actually learn something.

Proverbs 18:13 says "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame." Do you speak before you give others a chance to? Even as adults, we all need to learn to "listen before you speak". This goes beyond principles of democracy, to an emotional level. Don't you want people to hear what you have to say? People are all crying out for someone to hear them, so let us extend a listening ear to a friend who may be going through a hard time. Even in debate, hear your opponent out. Taking the time to listen to someone will show that you care. You may even gain respect from an opponent.

The other benefit of listening to others, is that you might learn something. You may get a better understanding of what someone else believes (and hopefully greater empathy for them), or you may (gasp) realize that you are wrong about something. Proverbs 18:17 puts this concept in a courtroom setting "The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him." This verse also hints at a psychological phenonemon called anchoring bias, our tendency to be biased towards whatever side of an issue that we have heard first.

In court we go through a lengthy process called cross-examining, where we listen to both sides until all the facts are presented and all the arguments are heard, and then the judge and jury come to a conclusion. Likewise we ought to do the same thing for ourselves with controversial topics. Listen to all the facts on both sides and then come to a conclusion. This is something that my mentor drilled into my head: "Always check out the other side!" Now I understand that it's not always feasible to do this for every issue. It takes time and motivation. (We ought to make time, though.) At the very least we ought to be willing to listen to the other side.

Some cross-examining tips: We should actively seek out new arguments on the opposing side. (Part of that "seeking knowledge" thing.) Also seek for the best arguments, because anyone can tear apart a terrible argument. If you become convinced of the other side, seek out the best arguments on your original side.

So many times we as Christians don't do this, especially when it comes to different theological camps, different religions, and even atheism. These principles of cross-examining apply to Christianity itself. If Christianity is not true, then we shouldn't believe it. This isn't just my idea, it's biblical. 1 Corinthians 15:17 says that if the resurrection never happened, then our faith is meaningless. However, my religious background taught that you shouldn't question God or the Bible, only believe. Many genuine Christians are still stuck in that mindset. "So, you want me to question God and the Bible?" Yes! Respectfully.

You don't need to have every answer to every question, but you should be looking for the answers. I am still working through the question: why do we believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God? I don't have all the answers to that question, but enough to make me confident in what I believe.

When cross-examining my mentor always said that we should be open minded, but not empty-headed. Meaning don't forsake what you you have learned with a reasonable degree of certainty. Don't forsake your God-given ability to reason. Don't be foolish or gullible.

Don't Be Gullible

Proverbs 14:15 says "The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps." The word simple here is someone who is naïve. Have you ever met someone who believed everything you told them? Have you ever been that person? I have. Having faith is NOT being gullible. Gullibility is not a virtue. We ought to believe the Truth whole-heartedly, but we shouldn't believe everything we are told.

The Fool

Going back to Proverbs 15:14 it say that fools feed on foolishness. They eat it up. This is a bit different from being gullible, I think. This seems more like someone who doesn't care either way if it's true or not, as opposed to someone who is simply too trusting.

Proverbs 18:2 tells us that "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion." Have you ever met someone like that?

There are two things to remember about the word fool when it's in the Bible. First off, the word comes from 5 different Hebrew words, which are often translated "fool". These 5 words signify 5 different levels of foolishness. Second, a fool is not the same as our western concept of a "stupid person". This is profound! In our western concept of stupidity, such a person is one who CANNOT figure something out. A fool (in ancient middle-Eastern thought) is one who has all of the facts, but WILL NOT to figure it out. So take heart, depending on what level you are at, it is better to be a fool than an idiot. At least a fool can change his heart and wise up.

In Conclusion

Just like foolishness is a moral refusal, wisdom is the moral know-how to live righteously. In this post, I talked about living a righteous life (particularly in regards to being well-rounded). Righteousness is doing what is right, wisdom is knowing how to do what is right.

Wisdom is especially important for Christians, as we are commanded to walk in wisdom (Matt 10:16, Eph 5:15, Col 4:5). If we don't have wisdom in our lives, we are called to ask God for it (James 1:5). God is the the source of all wisdom. So take heart if you feel foolish and inadequate, I'm sure we all have, whether we admit it or not. However, if you humble yourself and ask Him right now to give you wisdom, He'll do just that. That's exactly what I had to do a number of years back. I was reading through the book of Proverbs, and felt so convicted because I wanted to be a wise man, but I kept seeing myself as a fool. I remember crying out, and nothing changed... immediately, but over time things did. I have not arrived, but I continue to grow in wisdom.

So, in my personal opion, wisdom is the most important trait for a person to have. You could argue that love, and the fruits of the spirit are more important. Paul tells us that without love, even with all wisdom, he is nothing (1 Cor 13:2). Even so, wisdom teaches us how to apply God's unchanging Word, in a world that is constantly changing.

In order to obtain wisdom we must:

• Seek knowledge – Always be learning
• Be reasonable – Listen to others
• Not be gullible

So before you do something, ask yourself: is this the wise thing to do?

God Talks- Righteousness

RIGHTEOUSNESS

What does it mean to be righteous?

Righteousness is more than simply not doing bad, it deals with doing good! You could, in theory, never break a law, but if you don't do the things that you know you should then you are not righteous.

(James 4:17) So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Now, let me get one thing straight. Only one is perfectly righteous: God, particularly speaking of Jesus. Personally, I see three types of righteousness. I call them God-righteousness, human-righteousness, and self-righteousness. Each one deals with who sees you as righteous, and by what standard. We are sinners, but when we put our trust in Jesus, God sees us with Jesus’ righteousness. Now that we have Christ’s righteousness living inside of us, we strive by the Holy Spirit to “live it out”. We are called to live like Jesus (1 John 2:6). Righteousness calls us to not only avoid evil, but do the things that we know we should.

Think about it. What are some things that you have been putting off, that you know you should be doing. The things that you say "I'll do it later" or "I've been meaning to do that". Do you have a daily devotional time of prayer and Bible reading? You might argue that it's not explicitly commanded in Scripture, but if you know it's a good thing then why aren't you doing it. Even if it's just a few days a week.

This is one of the many struggles I had when I was 18, and I started to think about this subject of "righteousness". I knew that I needed to get a job, take care of my body, better educate myself. These are just a few of the things I was convicted of. Maybe you are convicted of similar things, or maybe there are other things that you know that you need to do.

Follow your conscience

I call the James 4:17 verse, the principle of conscience. You see, as Christians we believe that God has put in everyone a conscience, a moral compass to guide us between right and wrong. This is mentioned in many verses, including Romans 2:15 "They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them". When we go against our conscience it can become seared (1 Timothy 4:2), but it can also be strengthened and sharpened by the Word of God.

The word of God gives us clear commands, but not on every subject. For instance, God's word doesn't tell you what TV shows and movies to watch. However, by knowing God's word we get a sense for the things that God does and does not like. Based on this, as well as godly wisdom and the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can navigate our way through subjects that the Bible doesn't address directly.

One cannot use "well the Bible doesn't talk about it so that makes it ok" as an excuse. Children are the ones who need clear instruction on everything. As adults we learn to read between the lines and to use common sense. As mature Christians we must be able to do the same with God's word. Smoking is a great example of this. You could argue that the Bible doesn't say anything about smoking, and therefore it is ok for you to pick up the habit. However, smoking isn't healthy, it's not good, and there are plenty of verses I could use to advise against it (1 Cor 6:19-20).

Growing in all areas

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man." (Luke 2:52)

This verse outlines four ways that Jesus grew: mind, body, spirit, and reputation (socially). God has created us as multifaceted creatures, with many aspects to human existence. This includes, but is not limited to: spirit, intellect, body, social interactions, occupation, and finances.

Spirit- this is the eternal part of us. Since this will last forever it makes sense to take the best care of it. I believe that our spirit grows in proportion to our relationship with God. Our spirit is fed by God's word (Matt 4:4) So it's important to be in God's word. Again, there are are no clear biblical commands to have a personal Bible study. In Bible times most couldn't read, so they listened to the word through sermons. However, today most people can read, and it's good for them to read the Word of themself, so they ought to do it. (Remember James 4:17?)

We also must pray often (1 Thess 5:17), which is just talking to God. God speaks to us through His Word, we talk to Him through prayer. Through this dialogue, we grow closer to God. We must also do what the Bible says, not just read it (James 1:22).

Intellect- Our intellect works in tandem with our spirit: what we think affects what we believe, and vice versa. The key for our intellect is to "seek knowlege" (Pro 18:15). Always be looking for the truth, and looking to learn new things. By doing that you "exercise" your mind.

Body- bodily exercise does profit, albeit little, compared to spiritual discipline (1 Timothy 4:8). We must be good stewards of the body that God has given us. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19).

Social interactions is pretty self explanatory, and there are too many verses to go into here on how we are to interact with others. Occupation is whatever you do with your time, including your job, hobby, ministry, recreation, and education. Even if you are practicing a sport or an instrument. (See Ecc 9:10 and Col 3:23.) In finances we have been called to be good stewards of all that God has given us (Luke 16:11), and to be generous with our abundance (Luke 3:11, 1 Tim 6:17-18).

There are plenty more areas which I haven't mentioned. Among them are art, politics, family, and entertainment; although many of these will fit inside one or more of the aforementioned areas. Furthermore, each of these areas can include more subcategories that we need to grow in. For instance, intellectually, there are many subjects in academia which we should be familiar with.

Do you see how it is important to for us to grow in all of these areas? We might not excel at everything, but we should seek to grow in all the areas that we can.

Arete- Pursue Perfection

Arete is an ancient Greek word that I learned about last year in Western History class. It was one of the highest virtues in Greek culture: the pursuit of perfection. The Greeks were perfectionists, but I don't think it was to a fault. They simply sought to genuinely make everything the best they could. That's why they invented democracy, to debate and seek out the best form of government. Their statues and art portray physically ideal human beings, because they, as a culture, valued idealism.

Now I'm not saying that this Greek perfectionism is Biblical, but I think it is something that people, especially Christians, could learn to value a bit more. To many Christians (and other people) think “Well, it will never be perfect, so why even try.”

In Phillipians 3:12-14 Paul admits that he is not perfect, but he strives to be. As we should, he seeks to improve his relationship with Jesus, his knowledge of Him, and his walk with Him.

Ecclesiastes 9:10a says "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might"; and Colossians 3:23 is like it "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men". We are to do our best in everything. In 2 Corinthians 9:8, Paul hopes that through God's grace we might "may abound in every good work". Even if it's something small, we are called to be faithful (obedient). When we are faithful with small things, God will give us greater things, in this life or the next (Luke 16:10).

So what are the things that you know you should be doing? Let me know in the comments. Let's turn this into a conversation so that I can make this into a series. What are the types of things that you know you should be doing, but keep neglecting? What are some of those areas that you need to grow in? Do you know that you need to be taking better care of your body? Do you need to start a personal Bible study and prayer time? Do you need to get involved in your church? Taking your education more seriously? Or maybe start reading books to educate yourself more?