Godliness is Manliness

One of the biggest determinants of our health is our weight. Being overweight can lead to dozens of complications such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease or certain types of cancer. As a medical professional in training, I have found that no one cares about the health implications of obesity, but rather their personal body image. We live in a society today that is the equivalent of a philosophical Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The public tries to push a message of body positivity but use weight as means to bring someone down or show their superiority. Since this a Christian blog, I will try to discuss how God intends us to view our bodies and try to introduce some practical ways that we can better our health. For anyone reading this that doesn't know me or hasn't known me for long, I have gone through a body transformation that most people dream of and have probably seen similar feats on TV. During my senior year of high school, I peaked at around 350 pounds. I was definitely obese...

Sanctification is the process of God shaping us more in His image everyday. Our sanctification is dependent on many things: prayer, scripture reading and Christian community. However, few tools of sanctification are more synonymous with Christianity than church. Not only does church bring us closer to God, but it lifts our spirits. As the 19th century evangelist Dwight L. Moody said, "Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man." As such, it is important for all believers (and non-believers) to attend church as often as possible. The question now is "What should we look for in a church?" Before we discuss these qualities, I think it's important to say that one should be thorough when choosing a church. Many of my mentors have advised me to just jump into a church and join it. However, I would like to respectfully disagree. Church membership is a serious commitment and those vows should only be taken when...

When I was growing up, I always viewed cowboys as the pinnacle of manhood. My dad always watched an hour of westerns in the morning before going to work, so the first thing my tired eyes seen in the morning was usually Matt Dillon and Festus keeping peace in Dodge City. This continued until I was in high school, so seeing my dad look up to these fictional cowboys made me look up to them as well and I always viewed them as men's men, with John Wayne being the ultimate man. To me, manhood was synonymous with packing a gun, having perfect stubble, being lean, talking with a lot of grit and having a killer survival instinct. The Bible, however, paints a very different picture of what a man should be: kind, gentle, forgiving self-controlled, hospitable and pure. This is the exact opposite of what today's culture claims a man should be. Men today strive to be an "alpha male": harsh, detached, greedy and immoral. These stereotypes are perpetuated throughout culture. Societ...

One of today's greatest paradoxes is that as connectivity increases, loneliness also increases.Today, there are more ways to communicate with people from all over the world and yet the rate of depression is at an all-time high. Seems backward, doesn't it? We are technically less lonely, but have somehow become the loneliest society in human history. But surely, Christians aren't subject to this emotional plague, right? Despite the joyful persona that the rest of the world thinks we are supposed to have, I have met very few Christians that have not admitted to struggling with loneliness. The ones that said they hadn't were likely denying it because of the idea that "Christians shouldn't feel alone." Some even use it as a form of spiritual litmus test. They believe that loneliness is the punishment for sin or a sign of spiritual weakness. Clearly, we have taken the wrong approach. So, how do we correct ourselves and finally vanquish loneliness? The first...

I, like all Christians around the world, know that God is abundant in grace. However, until recently, I couldn’t begin to tell you anything about grace. In modern Christianity, grace has become a buzzword that has lost it’s meaning due to overuse (and misuse). So what is it? Why does God show it to us? Why does it matter? Grace can be simply defined as “the unmerited favor of God.” However, there is much, much deeper meaning that you have to feel before you can understand grace. God’s grace is revealed to us by His word and the death and subsequent resurrection of His son Jesus Christ. Similarly,  agape is one of many Greek words for love, but it represents the deepest form of love. You feel it deep within your heart and soul. God’s agape love and grace are two parts of his divine character. In fact, His deep, reckless love for us is the reason he shows us grace. “Grace is cool and all, but why is it important?” Several of you are probably asking this question. Let me expla...

Before I begin to spill my thoughts, experiences and wisdom (hopefully), I think it is important for me to introduce myself. I, like the previous eight generations of my family, was born and raised in the beautiful mountains of eastern Kentucky (specifically a township called Zelda; Google it if you don’t believe it is a real place). I was fortunate enough to be born into a family with a strong connection to the church. My grandmother’s family had built the church I attended in my youth and I had what many would consider a “normal” childhood. My parents imparted to me the knowledge of God, His son Jesus Christ, His sacrifice and His love, grace and mercy.However, my knowledge stayed in my brain and never traveled to my heart. When I transitioned to college,I allowed my heart to grow cold and tried to separate myself from God and His people. Because of God’s reckless love, He sought me, one of His lost sheep, and brought me back to the flock. This flock for me came in the form of Re...