By Janet Thompson
In July, we celebrated America’s Independence Day. While I could write an entire post on the importance of remembering that we’re always in a spiritual battle to maintain our religious freedoms and independence, I want to focus on how personal independence affects our bodies and our health.
Once we move through our teens into adulthood, we usually have freedom to determine what we eat, when we eat it, and how much we eat. I remember leaving home and my mother’s cooking to attend college. Staying in the dorms came with an all-you-can-eat meal pass in the cafeteria! After growing up with my mom carefully portioning food on our plates and determining what we ate, it was amazing and a little overwhelming to have so many food choices and freedom to eat whatever I wanted. Some foods they offered I’d never even tried before. Since I was getting a degree in Dietetics, I made wise choices (for the most part), but let’s just say it’s a good thing I didn’t have a car and had to do a lot of walking around campus.
Often people’s resistance to eating healthy is that it’s their body and they’ll do what they want with it, whether it’s unhealthy eating and drinking, or even drugs, cigarettes, and sadly abortion. But thinking of our bodies as our own is a false statement fed and fueled by Satan, the father of lies, who can’t create anything but deterioration, destruction, and decay.
God created every person. No one created himself or herself, and no one comes into being except through God. Every person has to admit he or she was created by something even if they don’t believe the Scriptures that affirm it was God. I wonder who or what they think gave them life?
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” — Genesis 1:27
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” — Psalm 139:13
God does care about what we do with the body He gave each of us. It’s not our body, it’s His. We aren’t supposed to treat our God-given body as if it’s worthless to anyone but us. When you think of the intricate workings of our body that sustains life, it’s almost more than our mind can conceive. I’m sure every doctor who studies the body reveres the body’s intricacies. It’s hard to imagine any doctor not being a believer!
God does care how we treat His intricate temple that comprises our body, soul, and spirit.
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” — 1 Corinthians 6:10-20
“God cares so much about your body that He even knows the hairs on your head, and those that fall out. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” — Matthew 10:30
Now it’s true that God isn’t going to love us any more or less based on how we treat our body, and He has given us free will. When He created man and woman, He said that it was good. He was pleased with His creation. Before the fall, I have to believe that the Garden of Eden was full of fabulous food. Adam and Eve had the freedom to eat whatever they wanted except from the forbidden Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God gave them the choice to obey Him or disobey Him.
Everything Adam and Eve were allowed to eat would’ve been naturally delicious and full of nourishment to keep them healthy. They probably didn’t have to worry about their weight and got plenty of exercise walking around the garden.
We know what happened though when they gave into Satan’s temptation by eating what they weren’t supposed to eat and God cast them out of the garden. They had to start finding and making their own food choices just as we do.
One last point I want to make is that some people can eat whatever they want without any problems of weight or health issues. If that’s you, savor that freedom, but don’t boast about it because not everyone is like you. Be considerate, especially at parties, barbeques, holiday celebrations, rafting on the beautiful Idaho rivers or camping in the mountains with friends and family.
Here’s a few reminders if you’re hosting or providing the food at an event.
Here’s the bottom line:
“It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do. But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.” — 1 Corinthians 8:8-9 NLT
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.” — Galatians 5:13-14
Yummy Easy Pork Chops
4 -6 pork chops
2 Tbsp. avocado oil or olive oil
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 minced garlic cloves
½ cup heavy cream*
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. oregano
Salt to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes
3 cups spinach
Season chops with salt and pepper and cook in oil until browned on both sides, then remove and cover with foil to keep warm. In the same skillet, cook the garlic and mushrooms until tender. Add the cream, parmesan, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine well. Then add spinach and continuing stirring until wilted. Return the chops and any juice on the plate back to the frying pan. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes until everything is warm. You can serve as is or over steamed rice or riced cauliflower. Enjoy!
*Check the label on heavy or whipping cream to be sure there are not additives or preservatives. So far the only brand I’ve found that’s additive-free is at Trader Joe’s.
Janet Thompson, award-winning Christian speaker, freelance author, and author of 20 books, is also the founder, director, and God’s servant of Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry and About His Work Ministries. Check out her books and sign up for her free weekly online blog and monthly newsletter at womantowomanmentoring.com. Join her on www.facebook.com/Janetthompson.authorspeaker, LinkedIn, Pinterest, X, and Instagram.
