How to Approach Your Health
In our efforts to make a difference for the Kingdom, we often neglect our health. We forget that being a whole person means also taking care of our bodies because it gives energy to the things that God has called us to. God loves us, and He wants us to be in our bodies in a way that enjoys the good gifts He's given us.
During our interview with Dr. Bob Cutillo, I got results from a mammogram I had recently done. My doctor told me they were concerned about something, and that I needed to come back in as quickly as possible.
We spent 36 hours of our lives worried that something was wrong. Those 36 hours were the greatest gift for me because I had to grapple with the thought that this could be my story. This came after several months of trying to be healthier and taking better care of my body. And it was a reminder that my body will fail me at some point. All our bodies will fail us.
Our Craving for Eternity
There is a longing and groaning for something better than this. We're longing for a time when physical and emotional pain is not going to exist in our lives anymore. We long for a time when we are going to live as one with God in our heavenly bodies.
Eternity was set in your heart so that you crave it.
Hence, you are longing for a time when you are whole and infinite. In the meantime, we feel the brokenness of our bodies, emotions, and relationships in this world. We long, groan and ache for something more.
When I thought I’d be in for a cancer fight, something in me immediately hoped for heaven.
I wasn't scared; I was hopeful. In those 36 hours, I knew that if the worst happened, to die is gain.
I am not ready to go yet. I've got things to do. I want to know my future grandkids. I want to make more memories with the people I love, and I want to make more difference for the Kingdom. However, death is not my worst fear.
Death is Not the Worst Thing
Death is the absolute worst fear for some people. But fear of death will paralyze you. When you get a diagnosis, and you face death (as we all will), I want you to feel hopeful. Be filled with gain that there's good for you if this is the story that He gives you. That is the hope we have.
I once walked through 18 months of fear of death because I was doubting God, but I'm not doubting God anymore. If you have that fear of death, I’d encourage you to face it. If you are so afraid of the worst thing that can happen to you, then you will always be thinking about it. And it will limit your decisions and your freedom.
If death isn’t the worst thing, then you can do crazy things with God. In turn, God will do crazy things with you because there are no limits.
That fearlessness sets us free and gives us a different perspective on life.
Finding Hope in Our Limitations
You may have had more thoughts and fears surrounding your health than you've ever had, especially since COVID. I am not saying we must be reckless with our bodies. I am also pursuing the healthiest life I can, but we must not self-protect and shelter our kids until they’re fearful. We've got to be resilient. And resiliency can only come from risk.
This body is for me to use, not control and manipulate into something that is protected from all difficulties. The body is made to take us into difficult things. It’s a tool for us to face difficult situations, not to guard and protect.
And so, there is a beautiful recognition at those moments of limitation. We recognise that it may not be something we can fix, so we depend on God even more. We put our hope in a new body and a new heaven that is coming even more.
So, What is the Right Response to Our Health?
The first response is to have a family doctor. Have somebody you can see for a checkup once a year. Our church has a health clinic that's available to people without insurance. You can check if that’s available in your community.
Be honest with your doctor about how you feel because even small things could be a symptom of something bigger. Make sure there’s nothing physiologically wrong with your body. Then you can live your life and take care of yourself.
Be careful not to make an idol out of your body.
This body is wasting away, and we don't hope in it. We're hoping in the next life with the next body. Still, our body is important. God created and designed it. We do our best to steward and take care of it, but this is not our home. So, we don't give our lives to it.
Understanding the Theology of the Body
We often separate the body and the spirit. We see the spirit as good and the body as evil. However, God built our bodies. Therefore, our bodies are not a curse. They are a tool. Oftentimes, our heart’s desires and what we do with our bodies are sinful. But the bodies themselves are not evil.
Jesus was raised from the dead in a bodily form. So, we know that bodies are redeemed and that there will be recognizable bodies in heaven. Jesus was the model of what it will look like when we are raised from the dead.
The brokenness of our bodies has been used for good. It has caused me to trust more. The finiteness and brokenness of my body remind me that we are dependent creatures who aren't in control. We are not God. And that has troubled us since the very beginning.
Our finiteness even troubled Eve and Adam in the garden. They didn't want the limitations they had as humans, and we've never stopped wanting to be above the reality of our fallen, finite, broken, decaying life here. But we will be. That is the promise.
Faith is the bridge that builds hope into our lives when it feels like death is closing in everywhere. If you have had to come to terms with the limitations of your body or someone else's today, I pray that you find hope. We are promised that this is not all there is. What is decaying now will be remade new AND better.
