This past fall, the Assemblies of God national office held a 12-week weight-loss competition we called “Biggest Loser” in a nod to the long-running NBC television series.

Human Resources sponsored the competition, and participation was voluntary. Employees created four-person teams that dieted and exercised together. Each individual’s weight was kept confidential, so the teams competed to see which could lose the greatest percentage of weight. Nearly 200 of our 559 employees competed.

I enjoyed seeing teams rise to the challenge of the competition by taking walks together during their lunch breaks. Brad Kesler, who serves my office as assistant to the general secretary, joined a team that included General Superintendent Doug Clay and two other men. Someone snapped a picture of him drinking a soda and “busted him” to his team-mates, to the amusement of them all, including Brad.

These moments of levity and comradery helped boost morale in the building. And I am proud to report that collectively, competitors lost 1,472 pounds. On average, competitors lost 3.42% of their starting weight. The winning team lost 15.04%. The “loss” was a first step toward the “win” of improved health moving into the new year.

Does God Care?

You might be wondering what the spiritual relevance of a weight-loss competition is, and why I’m mentioning it in the official AG minister’s letter. Does God care about our physical health? Three lines of biblical evidence point to a resounding “Yes.”

First, creation. Genesis 1:26–28 teaches that God created us in His image. We often think of the image of God in spiritual or moral terms. Verse 27 focuses on physical realities, however: “In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Maleness and femaleness are physical and biological realities.

Our bodies are made in God’s image. This doesn’t mean that God has a body, however. As Jesus taught us, “God is spirit” (John 4:24). Rather, when we say our bodies are made in God’s image, it means our bodies are the way that we exercise the authority over creation God has delegated to us (Genesis 1:28). God cares about our physical health because He created our bodies to steward creation according to His will.

Our health can determine how long and how well we are able to serve.

Second, salvation. Sin affects us bodily. God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning him, “when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). That death is both spiritual and physical. After they sinned, Adam and Eve first were banished from God’s presence (3:22–24), and then they died bodily (5:5).

Salvation is God reversing the judgment of death, both spiritually and physically. As Paul put it in Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We know that on the Last Day, God will raise our bodies from the dead, just as He raised Jesus Christ from the dead. “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

In the Assemblies of God, we believe that healing is “an integral part of the gospel” and “provided for in the atonement,” to quote Article 12 of our Statement of Fundamental Truths. Matthew 8:16–17 said that Jesus “healed all the sick” in fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4–5.

Third, sanctification. If God created and Jesus is saving our bodies, then the Spirit is sanctifying our bodies right now.

In 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, Paul writes, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (emphasis added).

Notice the indicative and imperative moods of Paul’s verbs: Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, so you should honor God with it.

Does God care about our physical health? He created, saved, and is sanctifying our bodies. So yes, our health matters to Him.

Opportunities to Serve

According to a September 2024 report by the National Center for Health Statistics, 40.3% of U.S. adults are obese, as measured by their body mass index. Some public health officials believe obesity is at epidemic levels.

Being overweight or obese increases health risks, both physical and emotional. Physical health risks include Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and many other problems. Emotional health risks include long-term stress, low self-esteem, and depression.

Just thinking about these problems can be depressing! Perhaps this is an area you struggle with. The last thing I want to do is load anyone down with guilt or shame. That’s not what gospel-centered thinking does.

Instead, let’s reframe the issue in terms of opportunities to serve. This letter is titled Called to Serve for a reason. That’s what credentialed AG ministers are. We are called to serve God, our churches, and our neighbors.

What if better health led to more opportunities to serve? Isn’t that why we entered ministry in the first place?

In 1 Corinthians 9:24–27, Paul used images of athletic training to describe how he disciplined his body for service. Diet and exercise, along with other good habits, aren’t ends in themselves. They’re means to something greater. Paul exhorts us to train to win that prize.

Despite Paul’s exhortation, I believe the ministry is one of the most difficult occupations in which to care about your physical well-being. We’re often guests at other people’s tables and feel obligated to eat everything put before us.

We often have erratic schedules, with late nights and lots of sitting. We often have crises pop up that cause us to put off going to the gym. And we worry that others might consider us lazy if we take in a round of golf on Friday afternoon.

That’s why our biblical theology is so important. God wants us to be healthy. We should want to be healthy too. Our health can determine how long and how well we are able to serve.

Principle of Togetherness

So, what’s our next step?

I am neither a dietician nor a fitness trainer, so I don’t have specific guidance to give you beyond eating right and exercising more. However, there’s more and better information about nutrition, self-care, and home remedies available now than at any time in history. Do your research; choose a path that fits your ability, your price range, and what you believe God is saying to you; and take responsibility for the direction of your health.

That said, I would encourage you to walk the road with others. As Hebrews 10:24–25 puts it, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

The author of Hebrews is talking about discipleship and church, but the principle of togetherness applies to all of life’s other good endeavors, too. The biggest winners, in ministry and in life, are those who do things together.

May God bless you with better health and open doors of ministry throughout the new year!

This article first appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of Called to Serve, the minister's letter of the Assemblies of God.