On Diet and Exercise

The life of a parish pastor is busy.  It is a lot of things, but it is NOT a 40 hour a week thing.

When we are busy, two things suffer:  diet and exercise.

Watch your diet.

Jesus said it is not what goes into our mouth that makes us unclean, but what comes out of our mouth that makes us unclean.  True enough… since Jesus said it…, but what goes into our mouth can make us unhealthy and overweight!

We Americans must watch it.  Food is everywhere.  It is hard to imagine another place in the world or another place in history where people could so easily consume so much food that there would be entire industries dedicated to helping overweight people:  diet book industry, weight loss clinic industry, stomach staple industry.

Food?  Go easy on it!

Avoid pre-prepared foods.  Most have high levels of salt, fat and sugar.

Avoid restaurants.  See above.

Avoid snacking.  See above.

Avoid watching lots of TV.  TV watching leads to snacking or going to restaurants or eating pre-prepared foods.  See above.

Avoid getting overly tired.  Being overly tired leads to TV watching which leads to snacking or going to restaurants or eating pre-pared foods.  See above.

A variety of homemade meals in reasonable portions will almost always be all the diet strategy you will need for a healthy diet.   Use your head before you use your mouth.  This is excellent advice both in regard to speaking and eating.

On thing more:  a practice of fasting for spiritual discipline (more on that later) will also help you to be set free from over eating.

Watch your exercise.

I never scored a touchdown in high school.  I never, ever dunked a basketball.  The one time I had a chance to score a goal in a real soccer game I choked.  And golf continues to be a mystery to me.

But I walk.  I do some jogging.  I can even somehow tolerate using a treadmill in the basement watching cable sports!

I have no idea what works for you, but you must find something.  Pastors should stay in shape. 

Exercise cannot guarantee a long life; it will guarantee better and more productive life in the meantime.  Serving as a pastor demands physical stamina and endurance—more than most people realize.  A proper exercise regimen that keeps you in shape will make you a more energized and effective shepherd.

Remember, others are watching you.  You are their spiritual role model.  They will take their cues from you.  As crucial as it is for a pastor to model good financial stewardship for the benefit of his people, so too he must model good stewardship of the body.  Leading the way in caring for one’s body is a legitimate and underappreciated aspect of pastoral leadership. 

One thing more:  remember, the cincture is to go across the stomach, not under the belly. 

So find something.  Begin somewhere.  And keep at it.  Long ago in a college gymnasium far away I saw a poster that should drive your diet and exercise philosophy, “It is easier to stay in shape than get in shape.”