Although my opinion on this topic might be evident, don't think that I'm preaching to you here, this is actually a question "for your consideration."
But I had a talk with a guy the other day who said that to take care of your body was a Godly thing to do. Ok, I'm with you so far. But I've heard people (usually men) say that staying in good shape by running and staying thin are things that are expected of you as a Christian. In fact they can go so far as to say "I expect my wife to stay in shape and to exercise." None of the men I have ever heard say this have been married, and actually I don't think any of them had girlfriends either. Of course they always follow up with "I expect to stay in shape myself; I'm not holder her to a higher standard.
1 Cor: 6:19 tells us that our body is a temple of God. But people debate what this means. Some say you can't drink, smoke, or get tattoos. Some say you have to work out. Fitness as a Christian virtue.
Possibly...and I bet many of you have heard this argument before. but here's the little kicker observation I have for you. I have never heard ANYONE say this unless they were already the kind of person who is very fit and works out. This is a popular opinion among wash-board abbed single men, possibly on the track team.
Doesn't make it wrong. But you hear people speak of their struggle with lust or pride. People talk about their struggle with believing lies about their self-worth (body image, defining themselves in things apart from God, etc...). People talk about their struggle with jealousy or possessiveness. I have never heard anyone talk about their struggle with weight as a spiritual issue. Only people who are doing well at it regard it as a "Godly or Biblical principle"
But maybe the blame isn't on them. Maybe they are actually right and those of us who buy "loose fit" jeans don't want to admit that something like food and our sedentary life-style could actually be considered sinful. We call thoughts like that "legalistic" (and there is NOTHING Christians hate more than legalism).
People in outrageous credit card debt rarely talk about poor money management being a spiritual issue, but since most of us don't live like that we have no problem calling it out.
And yet, I've seen some un-Christ-like attitudes from the "healthy" that I think stem directly from this belief.*
I'm not passing judgement here...YOU pass judgement. But just so you all know how I roll until I'm convinced otherwise (and I'm open to that): if my wife is gonna carry my children she can get as fat as she wants, as long as she doesn't judge me for "going to seed" myself.
*I'm not talking about you Eric, although we did have a conversation about this.
3 comments:
You coming to U-town this weekend?
"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." - 1 Tim. 4:8
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I think there are actually two issues that need to be differentiated. The first is taking care of your body. This means eating and exercising appropriately so that you don't increase your risk of heart disease. It also means reading a certain number of books per month, and wearing sunscreen. It means not driving really fast in the snow. It means doing all you can to make sure that you are able to serve others, including your wife, for the long haul.
The second issue is looking sexy. This means lifting your biceps, scuplting your abs. It means using big words and mentioning the books you read. It means getting tan and driving fast. If these things make you more attractive to someone, then they can be a gift as well.
I think the first issue is a christian virtue - selflessness. On the otherhand, being "sexy" - whatever that means to you - is not a commandment. And saying ""I take care of my body, I expect my wife to as well" really means, "I think I'm pretty dead sexy, and I deserve a sexy wife." We don't deserve anything, expectations kill relationships, and drawing attention to the fact that you think you are sexy is toolish.
But, as a single dude who was once on a track team, I also understand what's going on here.
It's natural to value what you already have. For example, I'm awesome at making a certain high-pitched noise, so I've decided that this ability is the cat's meow. Since I value this quality, I will appreciate its feminine equivilent in a woman. Girls who have qualities I value are more attractive to me. And there's nothing wrong with wanting to be attracted to your spouse. In fact, if you don't think your bf/gf is smoking hot you should bail. But its a preference issue, you can't state that Jill's toned butt is objectively better than Jane's ability to write music. So if you think smart girls are hot, find a girl who's really smart. If you want a beach babe, go get one. But almost every couple is matched, so if you're looking for excellence, you need to provide it yourself. And statistically, that happens anyway.
The reason that its usually the single guys who say things like this is because when you're dating someone, you appreciate all of them, and if putting on pounds tips the balance from hottie to nottie, then you should have broken up months ago.
So, my conclusion is that not taking care of your body is a sin. People are sexy in different ways, and not being sexy like Arnold is not a sin. If your significant other really likes your abs, keep doing situps. If she likes French, mutter "J'aime les pois" in her ear. Finally, its best to keep your dating standards to yourself. No one likes being DQed.
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