I can't do it. I appreciate it. I admire it. But I'm just too happy eating processed foods.

I always get a little nervous when someone starts talking about glorifying God by what you put into your body.
Two things about this concern me.
1. It sounds a bit like a strange form of transubstantiation. Like I'm ingesting righteousness by what I eat.
2. Didn't God specifically say that food based distinctions were out for Christians?

Mark,
I wouldn't have phrased your first concern as you did, but I think you're articulating a concern I had as well (but had not yet thought through it enough to articulate). When I read Christine's words about idols keeping her from being "as healthy as I can be," I wonder if healthy-- or a particular variant of "healthy" has become a substitute idol for her. I'm not saying that this IS true of Christine, but the question occured to me. It might be true. I need to ask her.
In fairness, related to your #2, I think she is aware of and seeking a gracious perspective about others and their eating. She explicitly acknowledges her pride as a negative thing.

Well hello everyone :) Interesting discussion we have going here!
First, I wanted to say I greatly respect Glenn, and I’m glad he always brings up the tough questions. Thanks GL! I want to address what he said about being healthy becoming a substitute idol. I agree that this can happen, and to me, especially. I hope my pride comment communicated that. You can read a few of my other blog posts to see that this is something I think about often.
It’s no secret that I have a very real struggle with perfectionism and body image. It is not right for me to judge others about what they’re putting in their bodies, NOR is it right for me to hate the body God gave me if it doesn’t function or look a certain way. No matter what size I am, I should treat my body as the precious Creation it is. That being said, I’ve found that I obsess LESS about food and what I’m going to eat for my next meal when I’m eating the foods my body needs in the first place, the foods intended for it. Because I’m eating the best things for my body nutritionally, I’m full after each meal. My body is satisfied. I can go on and do my work and love people better without looking for the next bite and without feeling like I’m going to pass out because my sugar just dropped. I can EAT TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO EAT.
As a Christian I am called to love others. Because I love people, I want them to know about this. I want them to know that they can feel better and have more energy and live more fully through proper nutrition and exercise. Many of us complain about aches and pains and being overweight, but we don’t address the fact that God gave us everything we need to be healthy – is it WE who have altered it.
That being said, I must constantly keep myself in check because I could move into legalism even with "eating healthy". If I'm obsessing about every item I put in my body, then even healthy eating can become an idol to me. But I think it’s like that with anything else seemingly “good” - from Bible Study, to church activity, to feeding the poor – all can become an idol if misused. I know that righteousness is not ingested through any food, and to say so would be blasphemy. I know that I am seen as righteous only through Christ, not through anything I can or cannot do.
Do I still eat processed foods and desserts like cheesecake from time to time? Yes! Because I like the taste of it, and I’m far from perfect. I also know that since my body isn’t used to that anymore, eating cheesecake will only carry momentary satisfaction for me, and then my stomach will start hurting.
A few more thoughts to offer up to this discussion:
1. If I know it's going to do me bad, but I still do it, is that sinning in a way? KNOWING what I know, is it wrong to do the opposite? Hmm...
2. It's interesting that many people think that healthy, "granola" eating is some newfangled diet, when in reality, eating whole foods in their natural form is the ANCIENT way of eating that’s been around since the beginning of time. The first man and woman were put in a garden and were given dominion over the plants and animals. Somehow, today we’ve gotten so far from that garden in every way...not just in what we eat!
3. Why does the church challenge us on issues such as viewing pornography or inappropriate TV shows/movies, gossip, and laziness, yet rarely challenges us on the issues of nutrition, overeating, and exercise? It seems that the other "wrongs" are not tolerated but it goes unchallenged that the Sunday potluck at many churches is defined by the colossal dessert table that can be a temptation for many who struggle with overeating and sugar addictions. Refined sugar can be just as addicting as other drugs and actions that are openly seen as taboo!
4. Let’s not be so quick to say "I can't do it" or "that’s too hard." I never thought I could eat flax seed either, but I sure think it tastes good now! It’s part of being human to want the benefits of something without having to be disciplined. Knowing that we’ll never attain perfection in this life, I think we are still called to strive, and that should also apply to how we take care of our bodies.
5. I’ve heard people challenge the healthy eating thing by bringing up certain Scriptures such as Acts 10, which seem to be out of context. In this Scripture, God said to Peter, "Rise...kill and eat." Peter argues with the Lord and says he has never eaten anything "common or unclean." Yet God commands him to do so, by saying, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." Taken out of context, we might think this Scripture is about eating. Yet in Acts 11, we find that it was an analogy God was using to command Peter to go and preach God’s grace to the Gentiles, or the "unclean," amidst criticism from the Jews.
So, I know this all sounds radical. But bottom line, I feel that I can serve God best on this earth when I'm my healthiest. And it wouldn’t hurt for each of us to examine how we’re treating the only bodies we were given to represent God on this earth. As Tara Leigh suggested in her comment above – the fact is, what we’re doing to our bodies is killing us. As Christians, why would we NOT try to do better? Does that not line up with the way we strive to live the rest of our lives?

Christine,
You have answered my concerns well.
You are clearly aware of how food (even good food) can become an idol and food righteousness as an area you need to be aware of. You have articulated how you are trying to love your neighbors by promoting healthy eating as a means of addressing their needs. And you rightly observe that the American church has a gluttony problem. I feel very good about where you are on this issue.
I will make one small exegetical point about your Garden observation. It is true that God originally put Adam and Eve in the Garden to cultivate it, but his ultimate plan for humanity now includes city dwelling(Revelation 21:2). So there is a sense in which building cities (and food processors?) is actually natural for humans. Sort of like building anthills is natural for ants. I think it's actually possible to admire a well designed (and I know most aren't) city as a natural phenomenon of sorts.
I'm really enjoying this discussion.
Mark (5' 4", 145 lbs.) ;-)

Hey Mark,
Awesome stat from Men's Health - just sad, really. And I have to admit, I have my moments where I'd rather be thin than healthy. I guess stats like that continue to show what we as a society view as important.
I'm enjoying this discussion too - it reminds me of the debates we used to have in GL's class when I went to Second Baptist!
As for the city dwelling, I haven't researched that verse in Revelation, but isn't this "New City" referring to a NEW heaven and new earth that will exist after Christ's return? In this new city, everything will be made new - there will be no more death, sorrow, or crying. I would argue that this city will also not have illness, and it's going to be nothing like our modern cities today. I actually live in Dallas, so I understand the challenge of living a healthy life in a modern city. We're surrounded by concrete, pollution, violence, and disrespect for God's creation in more ways than one. I admit I long for the day when my husband and I can live in a more natural, rural environment, but until then I'll try to do my best with what I've got!!! :)
Keep the thoughts comin!
PS. To whoever gave the hemp comment, I've tried hemp ice cream sandwiches and they're incredible :) I promise, you won't be disappointed :)

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