6 Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded,
7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,
8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.
We are called to pursue a pattern of good works. We can identify what those works look like by searching the Scriptures and discovering what behaviors please God. And, if our attitudes skew toward overindulgence, we have to recognize those tendencies and bring them under the submission of the Holy Spirit. God has given us the tools that we need in order to live that submitted life unto Him and to exercise Biblical restraint, under His control.
In 1st Corinthians 6, we read a passage of Scripture that can provide perspective into the care of our bodies and the importance of self-restraint:
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
We recognize that the Bible gives us a template for living, including a set of principles by which we can live a healthy life. The body, created by God, is considered to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. So, we wrestle not only with our outward behavior, but also what we ingest into that temple.
There are actually Biblical principles at play in a new report from a website called, BadCredit.org. It is a study of over 100 metropolitan areas across America. The site says that:
Michael Briddell, the city's health czar and head of the River Region Obesity Task Force, points out that, "It's important to know that the (seventh ranking) is not obesity alone..." He said that for an area with eight colleges, universities and trade schools, other towns without similar demographics might not face the same numbers the Montgomery area does with the percentage of citizens claiming to be heavy drinkers. He also surmised that Gov. Robert Bentley's proposed increase in tobacco tax might lower the number of people who smoke in Montgomery.
He said that, "We have city policies to help city employees to quit smoking...We know ... it saves dollars and lives."
Here are Montgomery's numbers:
33.2 — percentage of citizens considered obese
7.3 percent — percentage of citizens claiming to be heavy drinkers
16.2 — percentage of citizens who smoke every day
$29,213 — average amount of consumer debt
The other area deals with violating a Biblical principle of spending more than you make - a common Scripture on the topic of debt is found in Proverbs 22:7, which says that, "The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender." Debt can be certainly overwhelming, and applying sound Biblical principles can help us eradicate debt and get ourselves on the road to responsible financial management. It is commonly reported that financial woes are a leading area that wreck marriages and can certainly cause great tension in the husband-wife relationship. When you consider that families in the Montgomery area have an average amount of consumer debt of over $29,000, that is a strong indicator of a serious need to exercise restraint and wisdom.
So, all in all, the Bible teaches us to stay away from harmful behaviors, which can essentially become idolatry for us. By exercising self-control, a fruit of the Spirit, we can live a life that is under the authority of the Spirit, a life that pleases God and results in peace with Him and with ourselves.
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In 1st Corinthians 6, we read a passage of Scripture that can provide perspective into the care of our bodies and the importance of self-restraint:
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
We recognize that the Bible gives us a template for living, including a set of principles by which we can live a healthy life. The body, created by God, is considered to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. So, we wrestle not only with our outward behavior, but also what we ingest into that temple.
There are actually Biblical principles at play in a new report from a website called, BadCredit.org. It is a study of over 100 metropolitan areas across America. The site says that:
We culled data from the U.S. Center for Disease Control’s the credit-reporting bureau Experian to analyze four factors for 105 metropolitan areas:
- Percentage of citizens considered “obese” (those with a body mass index greater than 30)
- Percentage of citizens considered “heavy drinkers” (adult men having more than two drinks per day and adult women having more than one drink per day)
- Percentage of citizens who smoke every day
- Average debt per consumer (excluding mortgages).
According to a report on the Montgomery Advertiser website, here are the top 10 cities who have difficulty practicing self-restraint:
10. New Orleans, La.
9. Salisbury, Md.
8. Shreveport, La.
7. Montgomery, Ala.
6. Baton Rouge, La.
5. Bismarck, N.D.
4. Scranton, Pa.
3. Mobile, Ala.
2. Great Falls, Mont.
1. Lafayette, La.
10. New Orleans, La.
9. Salisbury, Md.
8. Shreveport, La.
7. Montgomery, Ala.
6. Baton Rouge, La.
5. Bismarck, N.D.
4. Scranton, Pa.
3. Mobile, Ala.
2. Great Falls, Mont.
1. Lafayette, La.
The Advertiser piece points out that even with the high ranking, Alabama received a positive nod: The report recognized that while many cities in the South have an obesity problem, Montgomery and its neighbors have collectively lost one million pounds since 2007, due to the Scale Back Alabama program.
Michael Briddell, the city's health czar and head of the River Region Obesity Task Force, points out that, "It's important to know that the (seventh ranking) is not obesity alone..." He said that for an area with eight colleges, universities and trade schools, other towns without similar demographics might not face the same numbers the Montgomery area does with the percentage of citizens claiming to be heavy drinkers. He also surmised that Gov. Robert Bentley's proposed increase in tobacco tax might lower the number of people who smoke in Montgomery.
He said that, "We have city policies to help city employees to quit smoking...We know ... it saves dollars and lives."
Here are Montgomery's numbers:
33.2 — percentage of citizens considered obese
7.3 percent — percentage of citizens claiming to be heavy drinkers
16.2 — percentage of citizens who smoke every day
$29,213 — average amount of consumer debt
The BadCredit.org piece leads off with this paragraph...It says:
In a nutshell: Americans love to consume, but living of life of excess — especially with your finances — can lead to trouble. These 20 metropolitan areas lead the nation in overindulgence.This study, for my "Survey Thursday," can really help us to discern best practices, as outlined by Scripture. One of the guiding principles that we can evaluate regarding what we consume can be: does my consumption of this product glorify God and demonstrate that I am treating my body as the temple of the Holy Spirit? If we are overindulging or indulging in something that is harmful to us, then we need to rely on the power of the Spirit to bring those urges under control. Three of these four areas in the survey deal with what is put into the body and have been rightfully stigmatized, though I would submit that public policy that would promote alcohol use is definitely the wrong direction. If governmental officials are actually endorsing or enabling bad behavior, then there needs to be a change in direction.
The other area deals with violating a Biblical principle of spending more than you make - a common Scripture on the topic of debt is found in Proverbs 22:7, which says that, "The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender." Debt can be certainly overwhelming, and applying sound Biblical principles can help us eradicate debt and get ourselves on the road to responsible financial management. It is commonly reported that financial woes are a leading area that wreck marriages and can certainly cause great tension in the husband-wife relationship. When you consider that families in the Montgomery area have an average amount of consumer debt of over $29,000, that is a strong indicator of a serious need to exercise restraint and wisdom.
So, all in all, the Bible teaches us to stay away from harmful behaviors, which can essentially become idolatry for us. By exercising self-control, a fruit of the Spirit, we can live a life that is under the authority of the Spirit, a life that pleases God and results in peace with Him and with ourselves.
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