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Christian Weight Loss: Does God Care What You Weigh?
by Kimberly Floyd "Does God care what I weigh?" After reading about my 85-pound Christian weight loss success story, a young woman asked me that question. It is a controversial one with many viewpoints. In my research regarding weight loss programs for Christians, I have seen some outrageous statements such as, "Whenever you see a fat Christian, youre looking at one who is not walking with the Lord." One author even stated that "Slim is how God meant us to be." Even though I believe that it is wise to maintain a healthy weight, I do not believe that God cares what you weigh. And the final authority on the subject is the bible. Nowhere in the bible is (that I am aware of) a person condemned because of his or her weight. I recall only two instances in which the persons obesity was mentioned: Eglon, the King of Moab (in the book of Judges) and Eli, the priest (in the book of 1st Samuel). In both cases, their weights were an important detail in their death stories. If God was going to condemn anyone about his weight, Eli would have been a prime candidate since he was Gods representative as priest in Israel. But God instead condemned Eli for failing to control his corrupt sons, Hophni and Phineas, who also served as priests. 1 Samuel 16:7 clearly says, For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. God condemned these men for the wickedness in their hearts. In the New Testament, no record exists of Jesus condemning anyone for his weight either. In fact, he rebuked the Pharisees because they valued their outward appearance more than their spiritual condition. He reserved his strongest criticism for them " stating that they cleaned the outside of the cup but were full of greed and wickedness inside. While I dont believe God cares about your weight, he does care about your health as stated by the apostle John in 3 John 1:2: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. And he does care about gluttonous behavior, which often makes people obese. It is what is going on inside of you that God cares about and that is the area he will focus on. His desire is that you bear much spiritual fruit and one of those fruits is the fruit of self control. If gluttony from emotional eating or habit is an issue with you, then God is going to focus on your heart and show you how to get free - if you ask him. I do believe maintaining a healthy weight is important from a stewardship perspective, simply because it avoids many of the physical hindrances excess weight can bring such as fatigue and increased risks for lifestyle related issues. But I do not believe God is sitting up in heaven with a tape measure or scale fretting about your weight. God leaves the choice of your size and weight up to you. Did you find this information on Women Food and God reviews useful? Read my detailed review, other reader comments about the book, and get my FREE special report 'Overcoming Emotional Eating God's Way' so that you can conquer binge eating now at takebackyourtemple.com. You will discover valuable Christian weight loss tips at the site as well. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |