Focusing on God’s Inner Renewal When Your Body Feels Weak
Ask the Pastor with J.D. Greear
Audio By Carbonatix
By J.D. Greear, Crosswalk.com
Way back in 2004, there was a show on MTV called Pimp My Ride. Remember it? To be clear, it was a show about cars, not about pimps. It was hosted by the rapper Xzibit, which is what made it cool. They would take someone’s old, busted-up car and transform it into a tricked-out car with a new paint job, amazing wheels, a cool sound system, hydraulics, the whole nine. As I type this out, I realize that it sounds kinda dumb now, but I promise, it was a whole thing back then. (Plus, if you’re part of Gen Z and you’re shaking your head at this, just wait a few, and we’ll talk. You think trends from 2026 will age well? To that I say, SIX SEVEN!)
I wasn’t the most devoted fan of Pimp My Ride, but I’ve seen enough episodes to notice a pattern. Generally, the mechanics started by transforming the car's interior. Somebody asked Xzibit one time why they did that, and he said that it was because if the owner saw them strip the outside first—rip it apart, tearing things to pieces—they’d get discouraged. He continued, “But when you’ve already got a remade interior, then you know that whatever’s happening to the exterior is gonna match up with the quality of what has happened on the interior.”
Not bad, Xzibit, not bad. Who knew that Xzibit was such a theologian?
God does the same with us—he renews and glorifies the inside, and that comes with the promise that one day, he’ll do with the outside what he’s done with the inside. That happens much later, in the physical resurrection. That’s not an easy thing to wait on, especially for those of us who are already experiencing the “disappointments” (to put it mildly) of our physical bodies.
Do you believe that God will one day restore your failing body? Can you wait for that? And can you focus on the thing that God is working to beautify now?
The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4, “… we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” And all God’s people over 40 said, “Amen!” I heard someone say recently that growing old is like watching a rich person slowly become poor. You start out with this rich bank account of good looks and physical prowess, and every year, it decreases a little. You can slow it down, but you can’t stop it. It’s as certain as it is depressing.
And that’s just the natural process of aging. For many people, their physical bodies are the focal point of much more pain and sorrow. Take Paul, for instance. When he refers to his outer self “wasting away,” he’s not thinking of lingering plantar fasciitis or needing bifocals. He’s thinking of literal scars on his back from repeated beatings. He’s thinking of the times he’s nearly starved to death. He’s thinking of his younger years—the ones that we assume are supposed to be filled with fun and vitality, but ones that he spent languishing in prison. Even Paul’s “outer” reputation was trashed by people who were jealous or resentful of him.
Maybe your experience is more like Paul’s than you’d like. Maybe you’ve carried chronic pain for 15 years. Maybe you’ve battled cancer … and while it’s “fine” now, you never know when it will come back. Maybe you gave some of your best years away to alcohol, and you live with regret, knowing you can never get them back.
To you, Paul says, even while all this is happening, your inward self can be renewed. It was true for Paul, even when beaten or shipwrecked or starving. And it can be true for you as well. Resurrection power is real, and It happens on the inside first.
In 2 Corinthians 5:1, Paul uses a metaphor that I love more and more with each passing year. He calls our bodies a tent, a temporary dwelling. I know I’ll lose respect with some of you for this, but I don’t like camping. I wish I did, but I just don’t. It’s not that I hate the outdoors; I actually love spending time in the woods; hiking is one of my favorite activities on my days off. But sleeping in an un-air-conditioned piece of plastic on the hard ground, with no running water? I dunno … I just feel like civilization has worked too hard, and we’ve come too far to voluntarily go back to that. That feels like an insult to our forefathers.
As much as I hate camping, I have done it. Peer pressure, creating an “experience” for my kids—don’t ask me how I got roped into it. It just happened. And in those wretched times when I’ve actually had to sleep in a tent, and I wake up in the morning feeling as if I got trampled by a pack of stampeding elephants, I am consoled by one beautiful truth: “This is not my real house. My real house, with AC and electricity and running water and dimmers for my lights and a refrigerator and a toilet I can flush … it’s just a night or two away.”
That’s essentially Paul’s perspective. He says, I’m staying for a few nights in this ratty plastic tent, but one day, I’m going to my permanent home. And it’s way better. That’s something we can all agree on, whether you’re the weirdo who loves camping or a rational, sane, level-headed person like myself.
A moment ago, I mentioned that the resurrection offers a unique hope for people whose bodies are rebelling against them. But the greater danger may be for those who invest greatly in their body. I know it’s good and right to take care of your body—God gave it to us, so we should steward it well—but some of you spend so much time on your external body that you ignore the one thing God is trying to beautify right now, your mind and heart! You exercise, count your calories, and measure your macros. You tighten, color, and nip and tuck. You spend so much time on an outer tent that is perishing and pay almost no attention to that thing God is bringing resurrection power to renew. I’m not saying you should completely ignore the “jar of clay” you’re living in; I’m simply saying, focus your energies on the things that matter. Better to limp across the finish line with a body falling apart and a soul full of the glory of God than sprint into heaven with an in-shape corpse and a dilapidated, shriveled-up spirit.
J.D. Greear is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. He hosts Summit Life, a 30-minute daily radio broadcast and weekly TV program as well as the Ask the Pastor podcast. Pastor J.D. Greear has authored many books, most notably Gospel, Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart, and Gaining by Losing.
Pastor J.D. completed his Ph.D. in Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Chick-fil-A, serves as a Council member for The Gospel Coalition, and recently served as the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Pastor J.D. and his wife Veronica are raising four awesome kids.
"Editor's Note: Pastor JD Greear's "Ask the Pastor" column regularly appears at Christianity.com, providing biblical, relatable, and reliable answers to your everyday questions about faith and life. Email him your questions at [email protected]."
