I am not my body

Yesterday I took a break to watch a recent Mormon Message entitled, "My New Life."

Before watching the video, I was having a rough day. That morning I had underperformed on an important final exam and was left feeling quite frustrated. Watching this video was a potent reminder of the vicissitudes of life that we all experience and the power of the gospel to provide comfort and hope. The video relates the story of a beautiful young mother who was disfigured in a horrific plane accident. The difficulties that she faced as a result, both physical and emotional, made my so-called "challenges" pale in comparison. As she candidly discussed her new life as a survivor of severe burns she said, "I am not my body."

"I am not my body." What a profoundly true statement! Our "mortal coil" is a merely a vessel that holds our eternal spirit. Yet this transient shell is so often over-emphasized. In the dating world, looks are often found high on the list of desirables in a spouse. Daily we are bombarded by ads on the internet describing ways to look younger, lose weight, and build muscle. I readily admit to having been guilty of placing undue emphasis on physical fitness in the hope of being as attractive as possible. While there fundamentally is nothing wrong with this, commensurate efforts should also be made to be spiritually and emotionally fit. How beautiful is a the virtuous individual whose heart overflows with charity towards all men!

I believe that our body is like our talents. As taught by the Lord Jesus Christ in the Parable of the Talents, we are responsible for improving on our talents in this mortal life. That means keeping good care of our earthly tabernacle. However, I am no better than others because I was fortunate enough to have a genetic predisposition to be thin, athletic, and intelligent. You see, I am not my body. My genetic code is not me. It merely encodes for the body that I have been allowed to occupy here on earth. I submit that our eternal nature is NOT inextricably linked to our earthly genes. What truly matters is me and you. That is to say, what matters is our eternal lineage as children of God and the character which we seek to cultivate today.

What character are you currently cultivating?