Hard questions, honest answers

Everything costs something. The real question is when you pay, and how much. You can pay a little more up front for good food, time to walk and a good night’s sleep. Or you can save a little now and pay far more later in prescriptions, doctor visits, hospital bills, missed work and years of lost health.

The up-front difference is smaller than most people think. A Harvard review of 27 studies found the healthiest diets cost about $1.50 more per person per day than the least healthy ones. The lead researcher, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, noted that this is “very small in comparison to the economic costs of diet-related chronic diseases” (Harvard Gazette).

Compare that with the cost of illness. The CDC reports that 90% of the nation’s $5.3 trillion in yearly health care spending goes to people with chronic and mental health conditions, and diagnosed diabetes alone cost an estimated $640 billion in medical costs and lost productivity in 2022 (CDC). Not every chronic illness can be prevented, but many of the most common and costly ones are strongly tied to how we eat, move and rest.

And many of the healthiest habits are free or cheap. Walking costs nothing. Water is nearly free. Sleep costs nothing. Beans, oats, rice, eggs, frozen vegetables and bananas are some of the least expensive foods in the store, and skipping soda, chips and fast food often saves money. Jesus said, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost?” (Luke 14:28). When we count the whole cost, health is not a luxury. It’s good stewardship.

Money really is tight for some families, and churches can help: see Eating healthy on a budget, host a cooking class, and stock the food pantry with healthy staples. But cost alone is not a good reason to ignore the body God gave us.

Start smaller than you think. A 10-minute walk counts. Three 10-minute walks count the same as one 30-minute walk (CDC). Cooking once and eating twice saves time. Going to bed 30 minutes earlier costs no time at all, only a show or some scrolling. The deeper question is priorities. We tend to make time for what we believe matters. Psalm 90:12 prays, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

God cares about the whole person. He made the body and called it “very good” (Gen 1:31). Jesus took on a real human body, healed bodies, fed hungry people and rose bodily from the grave. The Holy Spirit lives in the believer’s body (1 Cor 6:19). And our final hope is the resurrection of the body (1 Cor 15:42–44). A faith that ignores the body is not the full biblical faith.

There is also a practical side. Imagine how much more ministry could happen if our churches were healthier: more energy to serve, and more years of teaching, mentoring, giving and going.

Paul says “bodily training is of some value.” That’s a real value, not a dismissal. He goes on: “godliness is of value in every way.” Paul is ranking them, not rejecting one. Physical care matters, and spiritual growth matters more. That’s exactly the balance 1031 Ministries aims for.

It can be, if it becomes a list of rules for earning God’s approval. Paul warns that rules like “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” have “an appearance of wisdom” but “are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Col 2:21–23). We don’t care for our bodies to be accepted by God. In Christ we already are. We care for them because they are a gift from the God who loves us, and the Holy Spirit grows the fruit of self-control in us (Gal 5:22–23).

No, body size is not a sin, and it isn’t a measure of anyone’s spiritual maturity. Weight is shaped by many things: genetics, medications, illness, stress, sleep, income and more. Gluttony is a matter of the heart: when food becomes a master instead of a gift (Phil 3:19; 1 Cor 6:12). A thin person can struggle with it, and a heavy person may not. That’s why the church should never judge people by how they look. We all bring our appetites to Jesus and ask Him for help.

No. The Old Testament food laws were for Israel. Jesus “declared all foods clean” (Mark 7:19), and Peter’s vision in Acts 10 confirmed it. Paul wrote that “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Tim 4:4). Scripture gives principles: gratitude, self-control, generosity, rest. For the practical details, we rely on sound nutrition science. Be cautious of anyone selling a “Bible diet.”

God does heal, and we should pray for healing (James 5:14–15). But Scripture never promises that faithful people will always be healthy. Paul left Trophimus sick (2 Tim 4:20), told Timothy to take some wine for his stomach (1 Tim 5:23), and lived with his own “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor 12:7–9). Sickness is not proof of weak faith. And God usually works through ordinary means: food, sleep, exercise, doctors and medicine. Caring for our bodies isn’t a lack of faith. It’s using the means God has given.

Yes, pray about it, and then act. Nehemiah prayed and set a guard (Neh 4:9). Prayer and action go together. Ask God for help and for self-control, and then take the next small step: the walk, the earlier bedtime, the glass of water.

The best time is right after the first of the year. After the holidays, people naturally think more about their health, and many are already looking for a fresh start. A great way to begin is to kick off the new year with a church-wide time of prayer and fasting, then roll into the five-week sermon series. The Church-Wide Fast Planning Kit will help you plan it.

Fall is a great second option. School is back in session, routines reset, and people are ready to start something new before the holiday season.

Whichever you choose, give yourself a few weeks to prepare. Use the Launch checklist and the sermon series guide so your leaders are ready to go first.

It will if we do it badly. That’s why every 1031 resource is built on grace, not guilt. We never talk about weight, never compare bodies, never hold public weigh-ins, and we always offer options for every ability and budget. The message isn’t “you’re failing.” It’s “God made you, loves you and wants to help you care for what He’s given.”

Yes, and that may be the best place to start. Leaders don’t need to be fit. They need to be honest and willing to go first. A pastor who says, “I’m working on this too,” will do more good than a hundred sermons from someone who seems to have it all together. A board vote to “support” this is not enough; leaders need to take personal steps. See the Leadership Commitment.

Doctors treat illness; the church makes disciples. Discipleship includes our habits, and habits are formed in community. The church is one of the few places whole families gather every week. We don’t replace doctors. We encourage people to see them, support their advice, and walk alongside each other in daily faithfulness.

Not at all. Feasting is biblical, and the early church ate together “with glad and generous hearts” (Acts 2:46). Birthday cake still belongs at church. We simply want the healthy choice to be the easy one: water on every table, vegetables and fruit alongside the favorites, and fewer sugary drinks. See the Church Food Guidelines.

That decision belongs to each person and their doctor, not the church. Medicine is one of God’s good gifts, and using it is not a moral failure or “cheating.” At the same time, no medication replaces the daily stewardship of eating well, moving, resting and trusting God. The church’s job is not to judge anyone’s medical choices, but to encourage everyone in faithful habits.

Eating disorders are serious illnesses, not a lack of willpower or faith. Anyone who is struggling should get help from a doctor and a counselor, ideally a Christian counselor experienced with eating disorders. Churches should never pressure people to diet or fast, and every 1031 resource includes safety notes. If this is you, please talk to someone you trust this week. God does not love you less, and there is real hope.

Because it’s part of discipleship, and because it affects everything else. Tired, sick and stressed people have less to give. Healthier members have more energy to serve, more years to mentor and more strength to go. Caring for our bodies isn’t a distraction from ministry. It’s one of the ways we stay able to do it.