In my morning bible study the other day I came across Colossians 2:20-23 and had to reread it about 15 times to make sure I was reading it correctly. It sounded like clear instruction not to give in to diet culture.  I sat there awestruck. Was God really showing me this right now?! Did I have this right? Does this scripture apply in this way? I have spent the last month exploring this and I truly believe that it does apply.

“If you died with the Messiah to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: “don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? All these [regulations] refer to what is destroyed by being used up; they are commands and doctrines of men. Although these have a reputation of wisdom by promoting ascetic practices, humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.” -Colossians 2:20-23

The book of Colossians is a letter Paul wrote to the church at Colossae as a spiritual coach if you will. He discovered that heresy was creeping into the new Christian churches and confusing believers. The heresy was teaching that salvation was not dependent on Christ alone but also included adherence to ascetic practices and the worship of angels. Ascetism is defined as severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.  I believe that in Some ways, Dieting or “living a healthy lifestyle” has become the asceticism of the 21st-century American world for Christians and non-Christians alike.

The problem Paul is addressing in his letter is the legalistic submission to rules, of self-denial leading to self-righteousness. He’s warning against vain attempts to appear more holy in the eyes of people. True Christianity is “being in Christ” and allowing His grace to transform your heart (Rom 14: 13-18) not submitting to regulations of self-denial for self-transformation. I cannot help but see the parallels with diet culture. Diet culture is a system of beliefs that worships thinness and equates it to health and moral virtue, promotes weight loss as a means of attaining higher status, and demonizes certain ways of eating while elevating others. Diet culture tells you that you have to earn your worth and value by following laws and regulations and achieving a specific body type and a certain level of health.

The pursuit of the perfect body or the pursuit of health through diet and exercise can become an idol for people, a self-made religion, a false humility and it doesn’t truly curb self-indulgence. This pursuit focuses on outward behavior. It may give the appearance of a healthy lifestyle for a little while but it is not true health because it hasn’t solved the heart issue. If we are focused on changing our behavior through our own willpower and determination, we will only get so far before we burn out. True transformation into a healthy lifestyle comes from allowing the Holy Spirit to change our hearts. This heart change is needed to change our focus from pleasing the world with our “perfect bodies” to living a lifestyle that honors God.

Ascetic expressions of one’s devotion to Christ can be useful in bearing witness to Christianity. As Paul expresses in his opening thanksgiving prayer (1:3-12) the Gospel produces the fruit of changed character. This change of Character comes from the holy spirit working in us and changing our hearts to produce the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control Galatians 5:22-23). If we are walking with the Lord we will produce the fruits of the Spirit and a part of this will be the desire to live a balanced, healthy life. Which will include, among other things,  eating, exercising, and caring for ourselves by following our bodies cues and our intuition the way God created us to.

Are you finding your value in diet culture?

Do you think things like “look at how self-controlled I am, I’m able to deprive myself, I’m good, I’m spiritual, I’m holy, I’m worthy, I’m superior” when your following your diet and exercise plan and things like “I have no self-control, I can stop indulging, I’m not spiritual, I’m bad, I’m unholy, I’m unworthy, I am inferior” when the deprivation becomes too much, your willpower runs out and you “fall off the wagon”?