Christian Resolutions: Devotions From Time Of GraceSample

Should Christians diet?

If the Bible says our bodies are temporary and our souls are eternal, should we think much about calories and sodium and sugar? Or should we focus our efforts on faith, hope, and love? Good questions. To be honest, the Bible doesn’t have many answers. Even that passage about honoring God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:20) is in the context of prostitution, not portion size! 

However, there is one passage that grabs my attention—“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags” (Proverbs 23:20,21). Why not gorge yourself at the buffet or have one glass of wine too many? Because you end up drowsy. God didn’t create your body to be full of energy while processing that amount of meat. 

That’s why food matters so much to God. He wants us to have the energy needed to do good works in his name. Two hours after lunch, he has an opportunity lined up for us to serve our boss or listen to our kids or lend a hand to a neighbor in need. Those acts of love, like most good works, will require energy and focus. This is why God wants you to be wise when packing your lunch.

I bring a small black notebook to the gym to keep track of my workouts. Inside the front cover, I wrote these words: Do this work, so you can do his work! So, fellow Christian, take care of the only body God has given you. Your ability to love others just might depend on it.

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