It always makes me smile, or at least give an internal eyeroll, when in January all TV and online marketing changes overnight. Our Christmas decorations have barely made it back into storage when we are suddenly encouraged to switch our affections from brandy butter to being beach body ready, from copious chocolates to couch to 5K! But lest I get too cynical and before we feel too guilty about indulging in a few too many mince pies this Christmas, let’s remember that scripture describes, and Jesus partook in, periods of feasting and fasting too. There is indeed a time for everything, a time to celebrate and enjoy God’s bounty and time to abstain or fast for the purpose of prayer. But in between those two extremes, in the normal everyday life, we are called to be self-disciplined and practice moderation, to pray for our daily bread and not be gluttonous or get drunk on wine. Many of us struggle to occupy this middle ground and more of us than we like to admit become stuck in the extremes of overindulgence, both in the things we put into our bodies and the things we do with our bodies. Sometimes these things become so irresistible to us that we simply cannot give them up, no matter how hard we try. But why should we? After all, these things give us the comfort that we crave, they settle the overstimulated mind, they fill the void of loneliness, they numb the unbearable pain of our reality, they calm our anxieties. Does it really matter what we put in to or do with our bodies?
Well, the importance or lack of importance of our physical bodies is an age-old debate. In 1 John, the apostle John challenges the Gnostics whose underlying belief that the body (flesh) was evil caused them to live as though their bodies didn’t matter. But John refutes this false teaching and in all of his books he reminds us of some essential truths; that Jesus himself became flesh (therefore the body is not intrinsically evil), that we cannot walk in darkness (continue to ignore sin) and have fellowship with Jesus, and if we claim not to sin then we are deceived. In many ways our culture too says it doesn’t matter what we do with our bodies, but the strongest voice of denial often comes from within and the more practiced we get at trivialising or normalising our behaviour the more resistant we become to change.
The importance of the body is also seen in the way that man was created, a material body and an immaterial soul, one does not exist without the other. And yet for the person battling their physical cravings, the body and soul feel anything but united. What is going on when you know that what you are doing is harmful to your body, when you understand the spiritual implications of your behaviour, but you simply cannot overcome the compulsion to satisfy your cravings and desires? The experience of addiction is so intensely physical that it feels as though the body is in control, yet the Bible tells us that we have the gift of choice, that our hearts are morally inclined and that all our outward behaviour is an expression of what our hearts worship.
C. S. Lewis captures this struggle in a dialogue between Body and Soul:
“You are always dragging me down,” said I to my Body. “Dragging you down!” replied my Body. “Well I like that! Who taught me to like tobacco and alcohol? You, of course, with your idiotic adolescent idea of being ‘grown up’. My palate loathed both at first: but you would have your way. Who put an end to all those angry and revengeful thoughts last night? Me, of course, by insisting on going to sleep. Who does his best to keep you from talking too much and eating too much by giving you dry throats and headaches and indigestion? Eh?” “And what about sex?” said I. “Yes, what about it?” retorted the Body. “If you and your wretched imagination would leave me alone I’d give you no trouble. That’s Soul all over; you give me orders and then blame me for carrying them out.” (C. S. Lewis, “Scraps,” in God in the Dock, p216–17)
Now, while we can’t blame our physical bodies for our behaviours, we have perhaps not acknowledged enough the role that they play in battling sin and addictive behaviours. We need to appreciate that the body is weak in that it is dependent. It has natural desires and needs and if these needs aren’t met the body will die, so they are pressing needs indeed! It is also fearfully and wonderfully made with complex biological drivers that ensure its survival by making sure needs are met. To make matters worse some substances trick the body into believing that it needs them for survival. Sin preys on our weaknesses hoping that we will indulge our desires instead of maintaining godly control and it is this battleground, of our failing, wayward, infuriating bodies that God is challenging us and changing us into his likeness.
If you are stuck in what feels like a never-ending battle between what you know to be righteous and godly behaviour and the constant nagging of your physical cravings, if you are having to hide your addictions more and more, if anything has become such a priority that it is adversely affecting your relationships, there is hope. This hope is thankfully not in our own bodies but in Christ’s body that put to death with him all our sin, shame and repeated failings. There is hope too in that we can look forward, because of Christ’s resurrection, to our own bodies being made new one day and where we will finally know peace.
But there is also hope in this world because God has given us church family, loving pastors and wise counsellors that are eager to help us live a joyful life that is free from the substances or behaviours that have a hold on us.
Last year we advertised the Free! Recovery course which is an online course developed by John and Sally Childress who are both recovered addicts who are passionate about using biblical teaching to help those struggling with addictive issues. One of our members attended the course and has given us permission to share this feedback:
“The reason I wanted to attend was because I have struggled with a reliance on exercise to help me with the losses and stresses I’ve had in my life. I had an eating disorder for around six years but God freed me from this almost overnight when my mum unexpectedly died. The exercise issue has been harder to change. The course has been absolutely brilliant. John and Sally are a huge encouragement and John’s testimony shows anyone can be freed through prayer and faith…It has been one of the most helpful courses I have ever done…What has struck me is that the people joining this group are struggling with a variety of life controlling issues from food to retirement/ losing their identity. I think this course could help a lot of people not just those with more obvious life changing addictions.”
A new online 10-week course plus support group begins on February 6th at 7pm. www.free-recovery.org/events
We would love to be able to support you if you would like to attend so please contact Rachel or Sharon if you would like more information or support. Alternatively, you can register anonymously through the link above.