#projectC61920 Day 2: Physical Character
The first section of this project will deal primarily with
creating, sustaining, and developing healthy, Christian physical habits. The
over-time result of this will be personal physical disciplines, then eventually
physical character traits becoming of a Christian.
You may be asking yourself “what is physical character?”
Physical character could be thought of like physical loyalty, or physical
integrity. They are things we do physically (or abstain from doing) because of
our principles and convictions, whether or not they are already habitual.
Take eating for example: When given the option of eating a
sweet snack or a healthy one, we often simultaneously feel an obligation to eat
one and avoid the other. Our preexisting eating habits can make this choice
easier or harder. If we typically don’t restrain ourselves from eating
unhealthy foods, the pull to continue that behavior will be strong. If, on the
other hand, we practice habits of self-control, moderation, and a correct
perspective of who we are and what our bodies are meant for, we can more easily
overcome the moment of temptation. I say more easily, because temptation will
always be an element of life, especially when Satan knows exactly what has
worked against us in the past.
It is this understanding of who we are and what our bodies
are meant for that I want to focus on today. For this, let’s step back to our
central verse:
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For
you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. ~I
Corinthians 6:19-20
Phrases like “your body is a temple”, “you are not your own”,
and “glorify God in your body” should stick out here.
As Christians, we agree with the Bible when it says that our
bodies have an identity: a temple. A temple of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy
Spirit is in us, then should we not give Him a place to dwell worthy of who He
is? Now, if I take this from a worldly perspective and look in the mirror and
say to myself “that sure doesn’t look like much of a ‘temple’ to me!” I will
only be insulting my Creator. The Scripture does not say “your body could be a temple of the Holy Spirit…if
you went to the gym and put down the cookies once in a while…” It says, “your
body is a temple.” As a Christian, your
body is a temple whether you have made it a welcoming place for Him or not. If
we allow ourselves to meditate and absorb this truth and let it manifest in our
daily walk, it will make it easier for us to begin changing our behaviors,
which will make habits that become disciplines, and so forth.
The passage also says “you are not your own…you have been
bought” So really, what we do or don’t do to and with our bodies isn’t really
for us to say, is it? This is repeated similarly for married couples in the
next chapter in Corinthians:
The wife does not have authority
over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not
have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ~ 1 Corinthians 7:4
Even if we were not purchased through the blood of Christ, we
would still have to deal with not being the final say on our own bodies if we’re
married. Men, this means you need to ensure that you’re taking care of your
body for your wife; think about your heart (the blood pumping muscle, not the metaphorical
seat of the emotions): how’s your cholesterol? Do you smoke? Do you do any kind
of cardiovascular exercise? Heart disease is a real thing for men especially.
Let’s get real deep, men. Do you keep yourself only for your wife? Do you ensure your
members are for her pleasure only, and not even for yourself? Keep Romans 6:13
in mind (yeah, it actually uses the term “members”). Are you keeping your eyes
where they should be? Pornography is a drug, and it easily ensnares men into
addiction.
Ladies, this can be a delicate topic for you as well. The
world system is designed to make you question your validity if you don’t look
like the woman on the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine. But consider this: you
only have to concern yourself with being attractive to one man: your husband. Are you keeping your body only for your
husband? Are you learning his favorite makeup on you (or lack of)? Are you
listening to (or better yet, asking!) what he likes best about your body and
thinking of ways you can capitalize or emphasize those things for him? It could
be the way you walk, talk, move, or even play together. IF you don’t know, ask.
And if you do know, get on it! Just remember that your value as a person cannot
come from any person, even your spouse. Know who you are and what your worth by
asking God in His Scriptures.
“But what if I’m not married?” you ask… take care of your
body for your future husband or wife. Men, create habits now that keep you
healthy and able to do the physical things that your future wife may not be
able to do (like lift heavy objects and work in a physically demanding vocation).
Ensure your health allows you to be around for a good long life in order to
take care of your family. Women, remember that modesty is always more
attractive. A woman who shows a lot of meat will only attract dogs. Your milkshake might bring the boys to the
yard, but God designed you to bring a man
of God home to meet your parents…
Finally, remember to glorify God in your body. This is done
by remembering that our bodies are gifts from Him and tools for His purposes.
He may have you become a laborer in the field, or go into labor in order to
raise Godly children. God’s glory is shown in those who rely on Him for their
identity.
Some steps for practical physical character development:
1.
Get a grip on where you stand physically by
asking yourself these questions:
·
Am I healthy? Are my weight, physical abilities,
and/or physical resilience where they need to be?
·
Do I have any habits (smoking/chemical
addictions, overeating, laziness) that are not making my body a welcoming
temple for the Holy Spirit?
2.
Come up with a plan to address your issues:
·
WRITE DOWN your goals, and then write down steps
to get to those goals.
·
Have a spiritual mentor review and pray with you
about those plans.
·
Commit to those plans, and pray for God’s grace
to achieve them.
3.
Get accountability
·
Get a gym buddy that won’t let you slack.
·
Sign up for AA (or other addiction recovery
group) meetings.
·
Have an online community that will encourage
you.
Keep strong in the struggle and fix your eyes on the goal.
#walkwithme
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