The Body and the Christian Life with Charlene Dash

Since starting the Gospel for Life podcast, I’ve interviewed a couple of dozen people. This episode’s guest is my favorite so far.

Charlene Dash is a gospel-integrated nutrition coach. She supports women experiencing setbacks in health and fitness as they gain competence, strength, freedom, and joy in their nutrition, movement, and living.

Char is a Revelation Wellness group instructor and is also certified with Precision Nutrition. And she also happens to be my wife.

In this episode, Char talks about how and why to care for our bodies as part of the Christian life.

I hope you enjoy this old episode. You can listen below, or find the Gospel for Life podcast on your favorite podcast app.

Key Ideas

We often overlook the significance of our bodies as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
We also overlook how embodied the Old Testament is.
Our bodies are connected with other dimensions of our lives: our emotions and thought patterns. The gospel helps address these areas.
We all practice habits, but depending on our temperament, we practice them differently.
We face challenges in how we eat and move, in part, because of the effects of the Fall.
God promises to transform every part of us, including our bodies.
We were created a little lower than the angels, but the ascended Jesus — as the God-man — is exalted above the angels and has taken us with him.

Quotes

“The truth, when it’s presented with love and grace, is able through the power of the Spirit to bring healing and wholeness and freedom in a way … that just can’t be touched by keeping track of what you’re eating and making sure that you’re eating dense nutrients.”

“Whether we think we’re a habit person or not, we are all habit people.”

“We live as human beings in a fallen world. And so to need help or support… is not a reason to be ashamed.”

“We don’t do it alone, we don’t walk alone. Our Heavenly Father is providing the resources that we will need. And when we don’t have the resources, and we are seemingly stuck. It’s not that he’s abandoned us. He will come in his time and he will bring those resources.”