Via TJC
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Cor. 10:31
“[...] for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” 1 Cor. 3:17
When looking for verses on “free will,” I found Solomon using it so poetically: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9). In the New Testament, John states, “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (John 7:17). We quickly see that even though we are given free will, there is still a close tie to God. We must try to align our path with the God who defines “love.” Remember this, as I will come back to it at the end of the DBO.
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). We use food and drink as tools to stay alive. The Lord has blessed us with tasty things to eat and drink on this earth, such as an array of prolific fish or pleasing fruits that also hydrate us. Even the grapes that are edible on their own can be made into wine. Since we are prone to shortcomings, we abuse these blessings and sometimes make them our idols. “For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty” (Proverbs 23:21). There is physical exhaustion, negatively, that we see when we stop using food and drink as a tool and indulge past a certain point. Type-2 diabetes, obesity, and liver disease are signs that we have taken our bodies for granted.
Your health may start to involve others. You may put your body in a state that requires assistance from others to recover from. You may get sick and require medical attention. Being ill is when it affects those around you, known or not. “On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.’” (Matthew 9:12). We are fortunate to have medical professionals who have studied biology, anatomy, and other fields of study for years to assist us throughout our lives. “Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” (Ezekiel 47:12). Although this verse is full of metaphors, it spoke in a way that would be familiar to the audience. Healing can take place with what the Lord provides to us, like leaves. We have people who have learned efficient ways to heal and create life-saving medicines for our use. We should be sober-minded when looking at different medications. We know they are not always perfect or suitable for our benefit, and like Bible verses, if you are going looking for what you want, you can easily find it... in or out of context.
Daily Battle Order:
This is a big topic, and I want to recap what I’ve already stated. We have free will to make our own choices, whether you are a Christian or not. We have freedoms in the United States, whether you like the U.S. or not. Though, remember that as Christians we have a duty and expectation from God to care for our bodies, knowing that we can impact those around us for good or bad.
We must do all “to the glory of God.” Our body is a temple that we must care for. Our body’s health affects others. Lifestyle choices should be looked at through God’s lenses of Love, not for self-righteousness.
We do have free will, Christian or not/freedom in the US, love the US or not. Our duty and expectation from God is to care for our bodies, knowing there is an impact to those around us-- as the 1 King 9:8-9 states. Keep your body as healthy as you can and to not have it impact your neighbor. This is where the wrestling is... deciding on those decisions myself.
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