Can we get an elevator at church because these steps tired me out?!

A quick scan on-line of the health status of most Americans is frightening because we are an overweight and unhealthy country:

• Obesity is the #2 cause of preventable death in the United States
• 60 million Americans, 20 years and older are obese
• 9 million children and teens ages 6-19 are overweight
• Being overweight or obese increases the risk of health conditions and diseases including: Breast cancer, Coronary heart disease, Type II diabetes, Sleep apnea, Gallbladder disease, Osteoarthritis, Colon cancer, Hypertension and Stroke
• Overweight prevalence is higher in boys (32.7 percent) than girls (27.8 percent). In adolescents, overweight prevalence is about the same for females (30.2 percent) and males (30.5 percent).
• The prevalence of obesity quadrupled over 25 years among boys and girls
• 58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
• Eight out of 10 over 25's Overweight
• 78% of American's not meeting basic activity level recommendations
• 25% completely Sedentary
• 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 since 1990 Obesity Related Diseases 
• 80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
• 70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
• 42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
• 30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
• 26% of obese people having high blood pressure 

Unfortunately, these same statistics are as true in the Church as they are in our entire culture, maybe more so.  In 2006, Leah and I attended the Southern Baptist Convention national meeting with over 15,000 messengers (Many of whom were in full-time ministry).  A health booth was set up for the messengers and the findings were shocking:  65% of those in attendance had health risks that would be considered dangerous because of unhealthy lifestyle habits (Lack of exercise, overeating, high stress, eating unhealthy, etc.).  It is time for the church to address our health for one simple reason:  We are to be good stewards of all God has entrusted into our care, even our bodies.

If we read Philippians 1:20, we see that Paul gives us a statement which should be a guiding factor in this area.  I will pose it as a question:  "Is Christ exalted in my body?"  Is he exalted in what we eat?...how we exercise?...how we handle stress?...the care of our bodies?  Before you read this and think I am admonishing you to build a "hard body" like Hollywood shoves on us as the ideal body, this is my explanation of the healthy body:  A body that honors God is the body which allows us to do the ministries God has set in place for us.  Ladies, you definitely don't need to aim for the body of a runway model.  Men, you definitely don't need to aim for the body of a Hollywood action figure.  Our aim should be bodies which allow us to serve God with energy, endurance and vitality.  We are trying to build the body of Paul not the body of Adonis.

Having a healthy body breaks down into two distinct, yet totally symbiotic areas:  (1) Diet and (2) Exercise.  Studies show that most Americans eat out too often, drink too much coffee/soda/energy drinks, drink too little water, eat too few fresh veggies/fruits, eat too much fatty foods/fat and eat too much unhealthy carbohydrates.  So the key is not to eat less, but to eat healthier and smarter.  When people want to lose weight, what is the first thing they change in their diets?  They decide to eat more salads.  That's not healthier and smarter because now you are denying your body the protein, healthy carbs, fruits, other veggies and nutrients needed to give increased energy.  Starting the day with a healthy breakfast and water is the beginning point.  Eating five small meals during the day rather than two or three large meals is a beginning point.  Lasting change happens when we change our lifestyle.  II Timothy 1:7 reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and a sound mind.  He will give us the discipline to change our lifestyle so we eat healthy and smart rather than just eating less.

Hand-in-hand with our diet is exercise.  We must begin to have consistent exercise.  Once again, we exercise smarter and healthier, not just more.  When we want to get in shape, what do most people do?  They buy a gym membership and hit the gym hard for two weeks.  Then that membership is rarely used and the body suffers.  Stop trying to run a marathon on the first week.  We start where we are at physically and exercise consistently.  Thirty minutes of a brisk walk six days a week is better for our health than hitting the gym hard three times a week.  We can take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.  We can park a little father away from the store.  We need to proactively plan exercise into our lifestyle.  This is called self-discipline, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  There is an exercise plan at a web site called "Body for Life" which is based on a twenty minute exercise routine with four peaks during that twenty minutes.  Here is the link:  http://bodyforlife.com/library/exercise/cardio

This is just one example of a consistent exercise regimen that will help deliver a healthy body.  If you go to this site, don't buy into the hype about trying to have the six pack abs.  What is our goal?  To be able to serve God's purposes with energy, endurance and vitality.

I am certainly not an expert on diet and exercise, but I do my best to keep my body in good shape so I can do all God has set out for me.  I never want to be disqualified for a ministry opportunity because I wasn't in good enough shape.  My goal is to honor God with my body.  I have simply passed on to you some things which have helped me as I continue to try to be a good steward of the body God has given me.  I hope and pray that this Sip will inspire you to change something in your lifestyle so you will become healthier and more productive for the Kingdom.  If you will make some diet and exercise changes and stick with them for four months, your life will never be the same.  May God bless you as you try to beat the pressure of our culture and live a healthy and productive life.