A truly fascinating feature of the Christian tradition is its emphasis on the goodness of the human body. While the tendency in Greek philosophy was to view the body as something to be cast off in favor of the superiority of the spiritual, the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians that their bodies were temples and he preached the bodily resurrection of Jesus to the Athenian philosophers, even though they scoffed at the very idea.

The default view from that time to this has been that our bodies are merely temporary, material “things,” and therefore, we are free to use or abuse them in whatever way we see fit. But the biblical worldview asserts from the very beginning that the human body is a miracle of God’s special creation, integral to our identity and vocation as His image-bearers in the world. This worldview includes an integrated view of the relationship between the body and soul as a symbiotic and interdependent whole.

The body is the medium through which we experience reality and through which the rest of reality benefits from us. It is also the medium through which God interacts with us and works in His world. Therefore, the quality of our experience with God and the quality of our impact on the world is determined by how well we care for our bodies. For instance, good stewardship of our hearing opens intricate symphonies and simple birdsongs alike and equips us to add our music to creation’s chorus. Stewardship of our cardio-vascular system ensures our access to the glories of a mountaintop sunrise and the energy to maintain such environments for others.

Of course, this stewardship of joyful responsibility is only possible if we care for our souls (that part of us that connects with the transcendence of God, others, the past, present and future) as well as we care for our bodies. When body and soul are in healthy balance, we can live in alignment with our true purpose. Alignment with purpose is true freedom. You can hammer a nail with a Stradivarius or play a concerto with it. But only one choice produces the blessing of truth, goodness and beauty. Therefore, only one choice is truly freeing. The same is true for the body. Misuse it and be trapped by its brokenness or steward it well and bless the rest of creation.

Eric Hankins, Ph.D., is pastor at First Fairhope Church, 300 S. Section St., Fairhope, AL. For more information, call 251-928-8685 or visit FirstFairhope.org.