I'm not a morning person. I like 3:00-5:00 am as much as the next guy; but only when I have yet to go to bed, not if I'm supposed to get up at that hour. However, Proverbs 25:28 states "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." Ouch. So in order to work on my own self discipline, I have agreed to get together with a group of aspiring fitness buffs to work up a sweat in the wee hours of the morning. At 5:45 am. For 6 days a week. 3 straight months. Gulp. So far it's working, (one whole day down) but we ran into something interesting today while we were stretching and straining the muscles we wish we had.
It seems as part of the exercise program that we are doing, you have at least one day in six that you are supposed to do a form of yoga. For those of you not familiar with yoga, it is an exercise that comes from ancient India. It involves stretching and seeing how many of your bones are made of rubber. (at least thats what it looks like to me) Hinduism, Buddhism, and several other eastern religions use it to meditate. Many people in the western world use it to exercise. We aren't even to day three of our regimen yet, so we haven't even seen that portion of our exercise tutoring video.
But it seems that yoga is a place that Christians are starting to take sides on. Some say that since it is used by other religions to raise people to a higher spiritual plane we Christians should not participate in it. Others say that it is no more moral or immoral than a Pilates class. So what to do? Should we skip it and do something else? Or do we move forward?
Well lets see what Paul has to say on yoga. Hold on, it seems that Paul wasn't a big fitness nut. (First Timothy 4:8a "For bodily exercise profiteth little") Oh well. So it seems Paul does not talk about yoga itself. But he does talk about something that has a very similar concern and application. For this we will go to First Corinthians 10:23-32. It reads:
23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. 25 Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; 26 for the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains. 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; 29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.
Here Paul is talking to a church in Corinth (the city of sin in those times) and the members have a concern. The people around them are sacrificing meat to statues of their 'gods' as part of their worship. Then the meat can be sold and eaten. Is it wrong to eat such things? They are involved in other worship traditions, and we do not agree with idol worship or sacrifice.
Paul tells them that all things are from God and are good, when applied properly. Since these idols are not actually gods and we don't eat as an act of worship, it is not a concern. It is not that this item has now been stained because of the way others use it. What matters before God is our own heart and loyalty. No matter what we do (or don't do) we are to do so to the glory of God.
Paul also says that if you feel guilty about it, or if it bothers one of your brothers; then stop. Whatever it is here on earth is not worth causing you to defy your conscience or your brother's. Even though the act or deed itself is not sinful, going against your convictions is.
So Paul concludes by telling them to look at the greater picture. Even though it is not sinful in itself to eat this meat, is it bothering another? Does it bother you? If not, then there is no reason to abstain. If so then don't do it. We should always see what profit can come out of it first.
In the exact same fashion we should approach yoga. Is exercise suddenly sinful if someone else came up with it first? I fear that would eliminate many forms of exercise altogether. If we applied that concept (of abstaining from things not invented by Christians) to all other aspects of life we would find the modern world very limited indeed. Even the Olympics that are now on were originated by the Greeks, who worshiped many 'gods'.
In summation; God is One. To Him be the glory. Our bodies are the temples of God and we are to treat them as such. If you take Pilates to stay in shape, awesome. If you do cardio, thats wonderful. If you are a runner, I applaud you. But let us not worship our own fitness, but the God who created us. We should do all to honor and glorify Him. Even exercise at 5:45 am.
http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/09/20/the-subtle-body-should-christians-practice-yoga/
ReplyDeletehere is another side to it, this confuses me a bit.
where he mentions this- "Nevertheless, a significant number of American Christians either experiment with yoga or become adherents of some yoga discipline. Most seem unaware that yoga cannot be neatly separated into physical and spiritual dimensions. The physical is the spiritual in yoga, and the exercises and disciplines of yoga are meant to connect with the divine."
I have thought that if we just focus on the physical part then its really not Yoga. But im not sure now. your thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Well to answer that I would say that yoga's spiritual side is no greater than the spiritual side of sacrifice. The sacrifices Paul speaks of had spiritual implications as well; in fact they were identical to that of yoga's. People sacrificed to get closer to what they considered 'divinity' in one form or another. I am all for getting closer to the Divine. I believe there is only one Divine God and if this brings me closer to Him I'd be thrilled.
ReplyDeleteBut we do need to answer to the conscience God gave us. So if you feel that God (and not some person) is telling you it's wrong, then obey. If we abstain from things for the sake of abstaining, we profit nothing. (note: asceticism is to abstain)
Colossians 2:20-23 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” ( referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
This needs to also be balanced with 1 Thes. 5:21-22
21. but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22. Abstain from every form of evil.
So make sure that before you continue, that this is not a form of evil. I do not see it as such, but if you feel that it is indeed the Spirit leading you than you should be faithful to that calling. In the end you (and I) are not accountable to each other, but to God.
As a friend of mine is fond of quoting, "Chew the meat and spit out the bones."