Fitness From the Word

I was asked to lead the devotional for our women’s group at church a couple of weeks ago. The topic was Faith Meets Fitness: Honoring God and Living a Fit Life. This was right up my alley, as fitness for the Lord has been a major focus for me this year. Additionally, as a nurse practitioner, educating others about their health is a constant and enjoyable part of my job.

When you think of fitness, specifically whole-body fitness, you must first recognize that wellness includes aspects of not just the physical, but also the mind and the spirit. The latter two are often more important than the first. If you’re not in a good psychological state, or if your spiritual wellness is suffering, you’re likely not going to have the energy or the will to maintain physical fitness either. All three facets are interconnected. Improve one and you’ll likely improve one or both others. Disregard one, and the others will likely weaken as well.

If you delve into God’s Word, you can find several passages that connect the importance of fitness to our Christian faith. We know that God created everything, and that includes us. Genesis 1:26 reads, “Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness…’and in verse 27, “So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

What an honor it is to have been replicated in the image of the Creator of everything! We were designed by God and for Him. Therefore, if God cares about the human body, mind, and soul, then we should also care about those things. In Genesis 1:31, God said His creations were good, and if He says so, then it is true. Even though sin entered the world and tainted everything, including us, we should still care about our bodies and strive to keep them as God made them to be.

Additional proof that God cares about us and wants us to be in good health is that both the Father and the Son healed many people of physical ailments throughout the scriptures, including Job, Miriam, Peter’s mother-in-law, the royal official’s son, the blind, the lame, the demon possessed, the list goes on and on. “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people,” (Matthew 4:23).

Furthermore, we have been gifted our human bodies to steward by God. What is a steward? It’s someone who manages or looks after another’s property. As a steward of our individual bodies, God is entrusting us to maintain good health so we can use our bodies do the things He wants us to do with them. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 instructs us, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” God created our bodies and will resurrect our bodies. We can honor Him by taking care of ourselves.

Now, we all know that as we age our bodies naturally begin breaking down. This usually begins around the mid-30s, and I can attest that I am starting to feel the effects. We can’t prevent the eventual deterioration of our bodies; it will inevitably happen. However, we can slow down that progression and try to maintain good health as long as possible. Fitness supports longevity.

I don’t think any of us would say we don’t want to be around as long as possible for the people we love. We want to be here to provide for our families and protect them and enjoy life with them. Additionally, God has called each of us to a task, to go out and spread His Word and make disciples for Him. The longer we are here on earth, the more time we are allotted to complete His work. “She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks,” (Proverbs 31:17).

Exercise also reduces stress and helps us better endure those long, difficult seasons in life. Now, if you’re not one to work out or if you only work out occasionally, you may think that exercise is terrible and stressful itself. However, if you consistently work out, you will find that exercise can become almost meditative and rejuvenating-it helps release the tension, anxiety, and pressure that builds up in the body from daily stressors surrounding work, family, and our other responsibilities. It gives the brain a break from looking at screens and from dealing with other people. It’s just a quiet time for focus and reflection and restoration.

The same goes for your emotional and spiritual health. Getting into a regular routine with daily time set aside for the Lord and for yourself is extremely important. This will become easier with consistency as well, and your soul will be rejuvenated and your mental state improved because of it. 3 John 1:2 reads, “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”

Fitness With Caution

There is truth to the idiom ‘too much of a good thing’. As with anything done in excess, too much exercise or focus on fitness may be detrimental as well. It can cause undue stress to the body, can affect how we outwardly view ourselves to the point of obsession with our looks, and can take away time from more important things, such as God, family, and friends.

Additionally, there can be a thin line between physical health and vanity. God warns against worshiping the human body too much or caring too much about our appearance that we lose sight of Him. “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart,’” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Our society and pop culture place so much pressure on us to look a certain way, and even that is ever-changing as evidenced by the differences over the decades in society’s portrayal of the physically ideal woman. Too much focus on our bodies can lead to negative outcomes, such as eating disorders, psychological disorders, and egotism. “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight,” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

There must be balance, not obsessiveness. While not a fitness story, we can learn a valuable lesson from the story of Martha and her sister Mary in Luke 10:38-42. Getting caught up in worldly distractions can cause us to miss out on the most important thing, Jesus. Martha was so concerned with her work, believing her persistent endeavors would yield significant reward, that she missed the teachings of Jesus and the enjoyment that being in His presence brings.

The Bible warns against being a slave to anything including health, fitness, diets, etc. “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything,” (1 Corinthians 6:12). The purpose of being healthy and fit is to better serve God, not so others will notice and admire us.

It helps to stay balanced by remembering from 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” With this perspective in mind, the Bible affirms that good spiritual health is even better than physical fitness. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come,” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Being healthy and fit is beneficial for this life, but this life is not all there is. There is an eternity to keep in view and the rewards are greater and more enduring. “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised,” (Proverbs 31:30).

Fitness for God’s Glory

We can glorify the Lord through our healthy practices. Primarily, we can do this through gratitude. Simply thanking the Lord that we have a healthy heart, working lungs, and functional joints that allow us to perform physical activity honors God. “…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Ephesians 5:20).

We can glorify God through our motives when choosing healthier habits. For example, dieting and exercising simply so we don’t become overweight isn’t as strong a motive compared to getting fit physically and mentally to maintain peak performance for our God-given tasks.

Additionally, we can glorify the Lord by carrying out our fitness activities with love and encouragement both for ourselves and for others. We can inspire others when they witness the joy of Jesus in us as we overcome obstacles and work to became healthier versions of ourselves. We can even use fitness to minister to others by inviting them to join our activities. We can help them reach their fitness goals and grow closer to the Lord while doing so.

In biblical times, physical activity was naturally built into the everyday lives of people. They didn’t need to go work out because their lives were a workout-daily chores and travel (usually on foot) kept them moving all day long. Ancient exercise was functional.

God did not create our bodies to sit idle. A sedentary lifestyle increases our risk of developing conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease. Numerous studies indicate that those who exercise consistently are in better overall health and are more likely to live longer than those who do not exercise routinely. Additionally, idleness leads to low energy and motivation which affects our mental wellbeing. Proverbs 17:22 instructs, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” The Bible also teaches of the negative effects of idleness on our spiritual wellness. “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord,” (Romans 12:11).

Being healthy & fit will help us better fulfill our God-given purpose in a variety of ways. It helps us feel better, have better moods and attitudes, gives us greater strength and stamina for our work, helps keep us from getting sick, and improves our productivity. “A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied,” (Proverbs 13:4).

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul instructs us to run the race well, and being physically, psychologically, and spiritually fit can help us conquer that life goal. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

In ending, fitness does play a role in our faith if we give God the glory for it and don’t allow it to become more important than serving our Savior. If you plan to start making changes to become healthier in mind, body, and spirit, I encourage you to start slow, keep it simple, and be consistent, even when you don’t feel like doing it. Surround yourself with like-minded people, and use whatever is available to you, even if that’s simply your two feet and the road outside your door.

Making changes toward healthier habits is hard, but you can do it if you truly desire to and put your faith in the Lord to help you. “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established,” (Proverbs 16:3). “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, (Philippians 4:13).

Have a blessed week!

-Becky