A Temple, not an Idol.

Just like you, I have a lifelong history with my earthly body. This tangible thing that houses our software is so integrated to our being that we often mistake it as part of our identity. This is, in all reality, only a temporal form of our body, and yet for many of us we either tend to give it not nearly the care or thought it requires to function properly, or we can hyper-focus and confuse our body with who we are and churn far too much energy and effort into it's maintenance.

This Sunday morning, as I was walking down my hallway steps, I heard the faint whisper "A Temple, not an idol." This struck me as the perfect simple wording for where the long and rocky road of life has lead me today. I have always sought to take care of my body, and my body has never nodded back to me in agreement. Like, not ever.

I will spare the sordid details of decades of trying to 'fix' and 'correct' everything from my body composition to my thyroid via doctors, self-study, detoxes, diets, regular exercise, full blown holistic wellness programs, functional doctors, etc. If it was a thing, I've tried it. I have even helped develop a health coaching program that garnered tremendous results for clients and friends, yet never fully for myself.

Starting in early 2016 my issues collided to take shape as a monthly migraine that would strike me down for 24-36 hours every month without fail. I had been to countless doctors and specialists along the way. My menstrual cycle was a horrible fiery monster that wrecked me for days at a time and left residual damage sometimes as far out as two weeks. I spent years experimenting, reading and seeking solutions. Blood test after blood test, food sensitivities and adjustments. Some relief would come in small doses, but always fleeting. I was able to make a lot of progress with diet and lifestyle changes, but sleep was one of the key things I had not addressed until recently. I obsessed about this so much, I made it my job, I centered my life and my work around it.

Even after 2 years of correcting my broken sleep cycle and quality, I still was coming up with blood tests showing estrogen dominance, extremely high antibody count in my thyroid and dysfunction.

My migraines did not resolve until I finally surrendered the burden of my body unto the Lord. When I recalibrated my walk to be beside Jesus, something immediately changed in me. A wave of knowing, of peace, and of satiety that I have never previously felt just emerged and rushed over me. I still sit some days in awe of how hard I worked all of that time, and how elusive this was until the day I stopped working. The day I stared trusting.

I have not had a migraine since June of 2022 and that is a monumental change for me. I finally completed the first extended water fast in my life of 14-days and was able to see tremendous results in my bloodwork.

Today I have a healthier outlook on what it means to take care of my Temple rather than chase after the idol of health. Our time here on earth is fleeting, and we should spend most of that time building and seeking and resting in the eternal, yet for us to obey the commands given of endurance so that we may finish the race well, we also need to care for the bodies created and given to us here. I do see a real need of balance in this area, particularly in the western church body. Our fellowship often revolves around food, and there is so much sitting in study, and sermon. There is a reason we are told to fast, most of which is to impact our spirit, but there is also a physical element as well. The One who designed our body also knows exactly the way to tap into the fullest potential that it has.

Fasting has tremendous benefits, both physical and spiritual. There is a clarity, focus and ability to connect with God that is enhanced by fasting. Fasting is mentioned as a means to strengthen prayer (Ezra 8:23), to seek God's guidance (Judges 20:26), to seek deliverance or protection (2 Chron 20:3-4), and to repent and return to God (1 Sam 7:6). There are also incredible longevity, energetic, and kinetic benefits.

If we are to endure and run the race (2 Tim 4:7, Heb 12:2) Faith is required and goes a long way regardless of physicality. However, we are called to be a witness, to be productive for the Kingdom here through our lives. This doesn't mean boasting in physical prowess, but it does mean humbly respecting the vessel which we were given to operate from, that we were given in order that we might invite the Holy Spirit to Dwell in with us and guide us on our walk.

I believe we can take this seriously with reverence without making it an idol in our hearts. Leading by example, there are so many ways which our Creator intended our physical bodies to interact with the rest of His creation. Over the next few posts I would like to take the program that I helped develop in the 'Health and Fitness' community, and discuss it at length from a Biblical point of view.

We have the benefit of scientific advancement to allow us to test and capture data on how our bodies interact with the world around us. The science is clear : The more harmonious we are with the rest of God's creation, the better our bodies respond. The more we adhere to the directives from the Creator, the more optimally our vessels on earth are able to support everything about what we are created to accomplish.