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. 

Be the Change

"Be the change that you want to see in the world." That's my senior-year advice, to all the upcoming freshmen, and to anyone reading this. It's the advice that sent me on a journey, leading me to start this blog. I started this blog to share my personal thoughts on my faith, my political views, and on living a well-rounded life. It was this advice that sparked my interest in well-roundedness and consequently into politics.

I knew that if I wanted to bring real and positive change, I need to be informed on the issues and to exercise my right to vote! For the past four years I have immersed myself in learning about politics. For the past year, I have followed the presidential election with great anticipation.

More Than Politics

I have informed myself on what the candidates believe. I have educated my friends and encouraged them to vote. I have made my opinions known. I voted. I have exercised my free speech and my right to vote. All of this is futile if that is all I do.

Even if my dream candidate is nominated and elected, that will not fix the problem with our country. It would only begin to fix our problem. It is the Left that teaches our problems are in our circumstances. We need more laws, we need a better President, we need to make this a safer place. On the other hand, the Right is founded on the philosophy of individualism. The idea that the individual has the ability to make life good for himself, if he wants to.

Many of the issues that the Left and Right talk about are far to complex to pass a law, or some executive order, and simply fix. Americans, throughout history have never really trusted the government to do stuff. We won't get old waiting for bureaucrats to decide to do something. We are do-it-yourself people. We start a business or non-profit, and get that problem fixed, if at all possible.

Be A Better Person

No man is an island. Nothing happens in a vacuum. If you want to see a better world, first you must seek to be a better person. Then, when you discover what works, you should encourage others to do the same.

So many issues will not be solved by passing another law, or by some bureaucratic action. Poverty, obesity, violence, education, abortion, joblessness and many more issues could be solved by individuals refusing to accept their situation. By individuals changing their circumstances, instead of letting the circumstances change them. You cannot change circumstances on a global scale, but you can change circumstances within your reach.

Well-Rounded Life

As I have written in previous blogs, I am a firm believer in six arenas of the human experience. We all have them, and we can all grow in each of them. They are spiritual*, intellectual, physical, social, occupational*, and financial.

*(I want to take a minute to explain spiritual and occupational, to clarify my meaning. The spiritual arena is not just for those who believe in the supernatural. The spiritual arena includes your worldview philosophy, your moral philosophy, and your moral practices. For instance, an atheist might have an empirical/naturalist philosophy, and they may live by a utilitarian ethical system. Occupation is about what you do with your time: your job, volunteer work, recreation, or learning new skills.)

The spiritual aspect is the most import, which is why I always list it first. Our founders knew that this Republic was for a moral people: a people that would seek the best for one another. Only a moral people will care to respect the rights of others. An immoral people will simply want their own way, which leads to tyranny.

It is important for us all to grow intellectually. Not simply to receive a diploma, but to be readers, researchers, critical thinkers, and to love the Truth. American obesity will not be solved by government programs, but instead by individuals being motivated to improve their health, and motivating their friends to do the same.

As far as the social, occupational, and financial arenas: there are an countless ways in which these can impact political issues. You only need a bit of imagination to see how these areas can impact society. The social arena is the one that inspired this whole post. I was thinking about how it takes a village to raise a kid. This goes back to the moral arena. Kids are taught morals, not from textbooks, but from relationships. Particularly from their parents. However, I have never seen a well adjusted kid who didn't have mentors outside of their parents. It takes a village to raise a kid, which requires parents to have a good social circle.

I Could Go On

I literally could go on for several pages, on this topic, but I hope that I have demonstrated my point and inspired you. Don't wait for some government official to change the world. Be a well-rounded person. Be the person that you think everyone should be. Be the best version of yourself. Then inspire others to do the same. If we all did that... we could change the world.

The Challenge

My interest in polymaths traces it's influence back to many characters, both fictional and historical. Maybe one of the earliest influences is Batman, the epitome of humanism and being all that you can be. Other fictional influences include Mr Terrific, Dr Samuel Beckett, Eddie Morra from Limitless, and a character that I created named Dr John Reyes. Historical influences included American President James A Garfield, King Solomon, and most of all Jesus.

I was inspired by their physical, intellectual, and sometimes spiritual excellence, and their success in multiple things. Clearly I have not attained to the level of my heroes. However, in this case it is not about the destination, but about the journey instead. On this journey I would like to invite as many friends with me as possible.

My challenge to you reader: pursue excellence in every arena that you can.

The first question

What are the arenas that you must grow in, to live a holistic human life? For me there are six areas of the human experience: spiritual, intellectual, physical, occupational, social, and financial. Even within those, there are sub-arenas and cross-sections. Two that come to mind being politics and art. Some may disagree with my model. An atheist reader may say that there is no "spiritual arena". Well, those people are wrong, but they have their right to be. (My definition for religion here is your world philosophy and the practice of you ethical philosophy.)

Second question

What arena comes easiest for you? Or which is the one you spend the most time on? For me it used to be either the intellectual or spiritual arena (or a cross section of the two). Today it probably still is in the intellect arena. I have spent a lot of time reading about (and writing here about) politics. You need to look at your strongest arena and look for ways to continue to cultivate it. I talk about well-roundness, but everyone has a sharp point, and that's OK.

Take time to sharpen yours. If you are a young person reading this, find a specific thing within that arena that you can make a living off of, and go pursue a career in that. If you are a little older, hopefully you've done that already. There is also life outside of a job, so you can also consider volunteering in something of that area.

Weak spot

Next, identify your weak spot. I had two when I started this journey: I was out of shape, and an task-oriented introvert. OK, maybe I still have those problems, but I have made great strides. I have a small group of friends that I am regularly in touch with, and I am making more conscious efforts to make more healthy choices.

You have to start by thinking: how do I want to improve in these areas? Maybe you don't do a lot of reading. You can start by doing a little at a time. After finishing high school, I started reading one book a month. OK, it only lasted for a month, but I picked that goal up again the next year and it stuck. Now I read all the time. Still not as much as I'd like to, but far more than I used to.

So figure out what arenas you are weak in. Then think of small ways that you can grow in those areas. Take small bites. A little at a time.

Get organized

If you haven't rolled your eyes at the whole idea of this challenge, this is normally the part where people begin to roll their eyes. If you want to succeed in this challenge, if you want to have progress, you need to get organized. You need to do difficult things. You need to do things that all your friends are not doing. I have said before "you can be either normal or successful, you can't be both."

If you want to get ahead financially, it will require you to curb your spending and save some for a rainy day (and invest it). You won't be spending as frivolously as your friends. They may laugh at you, but you will benefit from it in the end. If you want to be more productive, you may need to schedule your time, and be more strict with it. It may not be fun, others may chide you, but you will benefit.

If you want to grow in different arenas, you need to set goals in each one. You need to be specific with your goals, and you want to write them down. You probably have a strong desire to put off what I am saying. You don't feel like it. Maybe you know that you should do (and even want to do) some of the stuff that I am talking about. I was there once, and in one brief moment I decided to actually do the things I had been putting off. Little by little. I'm doing a little bit more all the time. I am so glad that I do. My life is so much fuller now than it was five years ago.

So, tell me what you think. Tweet at me @frank_perseo or like Frank Talks on Facebook, then comment on the post for this blog. Are you interested in this challenge? Is this the kind of thing you already do? Am I totally off my rocker? What did you take away from this?

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?