Does God Care About Our Bodies?
When I was in seminary school, my professor spoke of different heresies that we believe. There were several that were compelling because they were familiar. A lot of heresies are built on small truths.
The devil wraps a lie around a small truth until it becomes toxic and unhealthy when we believe it.
One place that he's been effective is in how we view our bodies. Caring for our bodies and treating them with respect can often move to idolatry and concern that feels vain, conceited, or self-promoting.
This heresy that the body is evil came from a time in the church when there was a lot of sin. In Corinth, there were physical workings of sin everywhere. Owing to the depravity of the body in Corinth, Christians began to neglect their bodies because they believed that the spirit is all that matters and all that lasts.
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God and your body” – I Corinthians 6
Paul was trying to remake their theology of the body. The Corinthians were not getting married. The people who were married in the church weren't having sex because they believed it was evil. They were so disturbed by what they saw in their culture that they were swinging the other way, which resulted in asceticism.
Monks lived on poles, starving themselves, and taking away anything that could cause them to sin. They lived in silence, doing things that protect their spirit, and even hurting their bodies. This was born from the idea that the body is evil.
This heresy led to deprivation, and it still shows up, even in mainstream Christianity.
Taking care of or noticing our bodies can be seen as vain, materialistic, and self-centered. Our bodies are a tool. How we steward and take care of this tool determines how it’s used and how effective it is.
I believe God cares about our bodies, minds, and relationships.
He cares about all of you in your state of depression. I believe God gives help through the scripture and the brilliance of doctors. Scripture tells us that every good gift comes from the Father of the heavenly lights. If something’s good or helpful, it has come from God.
Rather than viewing things as worldly or spiritual, we need to view them as helpful and from God. It's not unspiritual to take medicine that has been brought into being by wise doctors who have been given wisdom by God. He has given doctors an insight into how to help the fallenness and brokenness of our bodies.
God gives us the tools we need to heal. However, not all of us are taking advantage of those tools.
So, seek the help you need. Speak to someone if you’re worried that you may be depressed. With any mental or emotional health issue, start with your primary care doctor to make sure there's no physical cause. A physician can check your hormones, thyroid, or other parts of your body that can affect your emotional health.
A lot of us don’t understand how Jesus can spiritually take care of us but not physically. And so, we ask: “why is there sickness? Why is my body failing me?”
Some things are out of our control, and we can’t fix them. We can't avoid death. We will all die if Jesus doesn't come back, but some things are within our control. I hope you’ll realize that you may have demonized getting help and noticing your body. You may have demonized giving your body value and assigning it enough worth to get help.
There are things that God created out of love and kindness to help and heal. Medicine, for instance, fills in the gaps that our brokenness has. Let's not be afraid to get that help. Let's not make our bodies unworthy to take care of.
God never would have made us need medicine if He didn’t approve. Your body needs something that fills in part of the brokenness of the fall. We are faced with difficulty in and outside our bodies and circumstances, but one day we will not be.
Jesus became flesh for us and dwelt among us. He was the glory of His Father. That means that His body did not diminish His holiness or worth.
The fact that He was clothed in the flesh shows that it is not bad. Rather, it is a gift.
Jesus took care of people's bodies; He didn't just take care of them spiritually. He fed them and healed their bodies. He showed value, worth, and preeminence to their bodies. He began by touching them physically and healing them. And then, he would deal with spiritual realities because he knew the body was a giant distraction from the spiritual.
Let us not be afraid to take care of our bodies. Do not be afraid to set up a doctor's appointment for that checkup you’ve been delaying. Don’t be afraid to notice and give value to what is happening in your body. Seek help for your body.
I also hope that you would not be enslaved to your body. There’s a balance. We are giving God the rightful place in knowing that we aren't in control of all things, but we want to steward what He’s given us well. We must enjoy that God has made us in a body and promises us that we will be given a new body in heaven. This new body will be whole and everlasting, not decaying.
Part of valuing and assuming our body as made, empowered, and filled by God is stewarding and caring for it as a gift from God. It’s a gift we only have for a few years here, and it should be a priority.
You can grab your copy of Jennie’s book series ‘The Story of God’. It's a children’s five-book set that paints a beautiful picture of God's love for us, from creation all the way to heaven. At the back of every book, there's an activity guide based on what you read. It gives you questions to ask or simple activities that help you drive everything home with your kids.
