Moderation is the answer

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Take care of yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.” 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NLT)

Our thought for today: “Moderation is the answer”

There is a curious and perplexing dichotomy that exists in our society regarding physical health. On the one hand, we are compulsively fixated on the idea of maintaining good health and youthful looks. Americans spend billions of dollars each year on a wide variety of diet plans, diet pills, weight loss programs, gym memberships, tummy tucks, face lifts, liposuction, surgical procedures, and more.

But despite that, we are a nation of unhealthy people. According to the Center for Disease Control, 74% of Americans meet the criteria of being overweight, and 43% are considered obese. Approximately 10% of the adult population has type-two diabetes (which is lifestyle related), and that number is steadily increasing (among children as well). Many of the physical, emotional, and spiritual ailments Americans suffer from can be traced to back to bad lifestyle choices.

Part of the problem is that our society has been progressively conditioned for conspicuous consumption of all sorts. The science of advertising relies heavily on psychological manipulation and it is very effective. Additionally, we now know that food manufacturers manipulate the chemical content of processed foods to make them addictive (similar to how cigarette manufacturers manipulate the nicotine content in cigarettes to make them more addictive).

But there are ways to combat this. Diet programs, gym memberships, and surgical procedures can all be helpful. But the simplest and most effective means of maintaining good physical health is discipline and moderation. Teach yourself to eat moderate amounts of reasonably healthy food and get some exercise every day. Exotic and complex diet schemes are seldom helpful in the long term and are often unhealthy themselves because they are not nutritionally balanced. And extreme exercise programs can be difficult to maintain.

Moderation is the best answer. It’s the kind of discipline Paul was alluding to in 1 Corinthians 9:27 (above). Maintain portion control and consume mostly healthy foods (an occasional sweet treat is okay). Then get some exercise every day. Over time that will get your weight back to where it should be and it will improve your physical health dramatically. Good physical health is two-thirds diet and one-third exercise.

So, eat well and exercise. Your physical health will improve and that will have a positive impact on your emotional and spiritual health as well.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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