3 A Christian Guide to Body Stewardship, Diet and Exercise gives purpose to this aspect of our created being. What I do with my body is disconnected from my soul. This notion often comes up when people consider themselves in a dichotomous way, where all that really matters is the spiritual and not the physical. While we are made up of both material (body) and immaterial aspects (soul/spirit; these terms are often used interchangeably), we affirm that the Bible depicts us as essentially holistic beings. We should not depreciate the value of our physical bodies. They are neither evil nor unimportant as there is continual interaction between our body and spirit (Prov. 17:22). Christian growth includes all aspects of our lives, as we are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27), cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit (2 Cor. 7:1), and be sanctified completely in both body and spirit (1 Thess. 5:23). Thus, while the body is distinct from the soul, one cannot minimize the importance of either nor relegate the essence of our humanity in some way that divides one aspect from the other in terms of their intertwined reality. Exercise doesn’t matter. If, as seen in answer to previous questions, God made us as embodied beings and the bodies we possess are able to be used in worship of God (Rom. 12:1-2), then the stewardship of our bodies matters. Our bodies are meant to be used for the Lord and his purposes (1 Cor. 6:13), and when we put them to work for his service, he delights in it. We are to love God with our mind (Luke 10:27), and studies have demonstrated that regular exercise improves alertness, attention, and motivation. In other words, exercise can encourage the peak use of our minds so our thoughts can be in the best form to love and glorify God. We are also to love the Lord with our strength. We should use our body’s ability to glorify God, and this can be enhanced and improved through exercise to use that might for his name’s sake. While not guaranteed, as we do not know the days God will give to us (Ps. 90:9-12), exercise can bring about a greater amount of time with greater effectiveness to minister to others and glorify God, as fitness does offer a better chance of longer life expectancy. Discipline in the area of physical exercise can also help one to be disciplined in other areas of life. As Paul beat his body into submission so as to preach the gospel with integrity (1 Cor. 9:24-27), so also, we must be disciplined in the physical realm as all areas of our lives are interconnected. Exercise can become an idol, like anything in life, and it is not more valuable than the pursuit of godliness (1 Tim. 4:7-8), but it is of value in bringing about overall discipline in our lives and enabling us to better love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Physical appearance and athletic accomplishments define me. Pursuing athletic accomplishments or a sculpted physique has the temptation of becoming idols that define what you do, how you spend money, what you wear, where you spend your time, and with whom you interact. The questions of time, activity, clothing, and friends can be determined primarily on account of one’s union with Christ. When our identity is rightly centered on our union with Christ (John 1:12–13; Rom. 8:29–30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 2:19–22; 1 Pet. 2:9–10), appearance and accomplishments might describe us, but they can never define us. Previous to his conversion, Paul pursued a religious and social identity by what he achieved, but he came to realize that his identity must be in Christ’s work, not his own: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8). Similarly, people can seek to have their identity in outward appearance, or their identity can be fixed inwardly on Christ which affects how they
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