“Treat your body like an instrument—not an ornament.” —Gary Thomas
Our society struggles to find a healthy image of the human body.
On one end, we obsess over it. Americans alone spend over $10 billion dollars/year on plastic surgery. New diet fads surface and fade away at a dizzying pace. Magazine covers promise 6-pack abs in grocery store check-out aisles. The average woman spends 2 weeks a year on her appearance. And 77 percent of adult women complain about their physical appearance.
And yet, despite all the cultural fixation on beauty and outward appearance, 60% of Americans are either overweight or obese. Only one in five adults meet federal guidelines for both aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening exercise. We spend over $100 billion dollars/year on fast food and average 34 hours/week watching television. Even more of us see little connection between our physical bodies and the lives that we lead.
Both views lead to disastrous outcomes. On one hand, an over-infatuation with the body leads to an unhealthy relationship with it. We base our happiness on our physical appearance or use it as a means to impress others. But an unconcerned, dismissive image of the human body leads to an unhealthy lifestyle with unhealthy choices.
What approach might we take that balances both and keeps our physical bodies in proper regard? Or better yet, what perspective might motivate us to care for our bodies properly without becoming obsessive over it?
The key, I believe, is to understand our physical bodies are the instruments through which we accomplish our unique purpose in this world. (tweet that)
Our one physical body represents an important tool to accomplish important good works. In this way, they must matter to us.
No matter what our greatest pursuit is in life, our physical bodies are essential to accomplishing it. Whether I desire to be a good parent, a spiritual mentor, a world-traveler, a successful businessperson, or any combination of the above, my body is either an asset or liability.
This is an important change in our thinking. We do not care for our bodies simply for vanity’s sake or to fill a void within us. We care for our bodies so we can more effectively accomplish what we most want to accomplish with our lives.
This approach motivates us to make healthy choices in a healthy context.
How then, specifically, might we care for our bodies to keep them both healthy and effective? Consider these 7 intentional steps:
1. Fuel properly. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Their contribution to healthy eating cannot be overstated. The goal in our home is to make meat the side dish rather than the main dish.
2. Hydrate sufficiently. Every system in your body depends on water. According to the Mayo Clinic, you body probably needs 9-13 cups of fluid each day (depending on your gender, size, and activity level). Consider 8 glasses of water each day as a really good place to start. If you need some extra motivation, read this: Top 10 Things I Learned Drinking Only Water for a Month.
3. Exercise frequently. The CDC recommends 150 minutes/week of aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week—that’s just a bit more than one full-length movie and sitcom. If you are intentional about getting exercise, you are meeting this suggestion. If you are not intentional about getting exercise, you should probably start.
4. Rest regularly. Your body needs rest. Get some each week.
5. Eliminate unhealthy habits strategically. Eat less junk food. Drink less alcohol. Smoke fewer cigarettes. Read more labels.
6. Don’t compare foolishly. Your body is unique and your goals are unique. Care for your body as an instrument through which to accomplish your unique purpose—not as something to be compared to others.
7. Make changes slowly. Pick one item from this list you can improve upon. Start there. And experience some victories before moving on to the next.
Joshua, thank you for this great post… and for making things simple for us to focus on the important stuff. Yes I agree, we must take care of ourselves. Jesus paid a great price for us… through His finished work we can stand in and through Him, not in our own strenght, but in His. We are Wonderfully made by a loving God. He loves us more than we can ever imagine, more than all our sin, our mistakes, failures and anything that holds us back, His love is too deep for us to understand… He wants you to come to Him, just as you are.., What we do with our bodies; our whole lives, is just a choice each day of the journey… One of the most important elements is our focus. We must not focus to much on our flesh, but on the bigger picture, the deeper stuff… and our destiny… planned by the living God… Yes indeed we must take care of our bodies, to be a instrument… and to fulfil our purpose!! It’s all about focus and choice! And remember this… there’s Always HOPE!! It’s never too late, to start over…
Great would love to hear more about this in the feature. A healthy body is really something you should never go against!
Instead of making meat a side dish, why not do your health and the planet a bigger favour and eat an entirely plant-based (vegan) diet? It’s not difficult or complicated. And the rewards are great.
Why not let people make their choice without pushing your agenda? It’s a positive post, leave it at that.
It was a suggestion, not an agenda.
I was thinking the same thing. Heart disease such as strokes and heart attacks, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, are things you see when you eat animal products. It’s as simple as that. (BUT you can still be a fat vegan if you eat processed, fatty vegan foods.) I wish everyone would try a healthy, 100% plant based diet, even if just for 2 weeks, to see what all of the fuss is about.
You do know, I hope, that the diseases you speak of come from CAFO animals, not pasture-based, managed rotational grazing/grass-fed ones. It’s NOT “as simple as that”. what is simple–there is nothing truly vegan. Those crops you love so much that till the earth and cause erosion? they are fertilized either with organic options (bonemeal/bloodmeal) or chemical fertilizers (crude oil based extractive options). When grown in healthy soils, there are earthworms involved, too. and animals (bees, etc) pollinate those crops for you. You cannot avoid the contribution of animals, no matter how hard you try.
“Vegan” is terrible for the planet, though. It requires more tillage. Pasture-based herbivores are what we need to rebuild soil and heal the planet–which means limited but not zero meat.
I’ve recently been working on making exercise a habit. When I am investing time in my body, whether or not those changes are actually reflected in my body weight or shape, I have a much higher self-image. I am reminded of how strong I am every time I get outside and run or hike. I am reminded of how thankful I should be that I am able to do these things.
A quote I read every morning by my mirror is, “I run (or, eat well) because I love my body, not because I hate it.”
It’s easy to fall into the mindset of forcing myself to eat fewer calories and run harder because I hate certain aspects of my body…but I am trying to be grateful for how beautifully God has designed my body and treat exercise as a way to take good care of it.
Great quote! I’m going to use that. It’s too easy for me to fall into the hating and punishing my body mindset.
Your point about fueling your body well could include eating enough calories to support your activity level. Many people jump on diets, eat to little, body shifts into starvation mode. People who do this usually regain any weight they lose, and also add a few pounds. The diet industry thrives on this cycle, and people continue gaining more and more weight. All one needs to do is cut back a little permanently to lose weight. You don’t even need to count calories though it is good to be aware of higher calorie foods. As with possessions, our culture is selling the diet norm: something we don’t need which takes quality away from life.
Appreciating the time and energy you put into your site and detailed information you offer.
It’s good to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same unwanted
rehashed information. Excellent read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google
account.
Great point!
Our body is a tool that helps achieve things in life. Take care about your body and that is a sign for people that you are not a problem if they accept you in their tribe.
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who live you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself. 1 Corinthians 6:19.
Thank you for giving me a new way to think about my body. It’s such a gift, and I need to treat it as such. God appreciates it when we accept and care for his gifts. It is so true that unless we love and nourish our bodies, we can’t fully perform the tasks/purpose we’ve been placed her to do. Great insight.
“Care for your body as an instrument through which to accomplish your unique purpose—not as something to be compared to others.”
Loved how you said that, Joshua.
There’s too much pressure to be ‘good-looking’, ‘hot’ or ‘beautiful’ or whatever thus making it hard for people to do what they want to do.