We sometimes develop a bad habit of separating Christianity from the rest of our lives. God should be a part of everything. I invite God to be part of my physical health, social life and working life; not just for a few minutes a day when I am at home.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you? Don’t you know that you have the Holy Spirit from God,
and you don’t belong to yourselves? You have been bought and paid for, so
honor God with your body.
Common English Bible (CEB)
We need to look after our bodies. The healthier we are, the better we will be able to worship God with our bodies and minds. I'm not only talking about the few hours that we spend at church. I am also talking about the rest of our lives. God has blessed you with your body. Honor Him by taking good care of it and using it to glorify Him.
With this in mind, today I want to talk about being healthy. You don't need to be a health freak who is scared to touch a piece of chocolate, but you do need to make sure that you are eating a balanced diet and that you are physically active. An exercise site wrote an article about how not doing enough physical activity is dangerous for your health. Also, make sure that your diet contains good, raw foods. Fresh fruit and vegetables benefit your body and help keep you strong. The more energy you have, the better you will be at doing things that are important. Your energy and focus will also increase.
John Piper has a good article about using exercise to glorify God. He says that exercise can create a gratitude to God for your moving body and its ability to do things. He also talks about using exercise to keep you as mentally and physically fit as possible for ministry. Exercise is also a great way for us to reach the world in a healthy, non-sinful way. Get out there and be God to those who need Him.
If you want to learn how to make friends at the gym you attend for ministry or to practice ministry, check out how to socialize at the gym where you work out.
Keep your mind fresh and clear so that it is more able work with the things of God.
Proverbs 10:26
Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are lazy people
to those who authorize them.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Let us make ourselves as fit and able as possible to do the things of God.
Bible Reasons lists 7 biblical reasons why we should exercise. These reasons include honoring God by taking care of our bodies, looking after our bodies since they are members of Christ, keeping good self-discipline habits and avoiding gluttony and laziness.
Christianity Today has a very interesting article called the gift of physical exercise. It talks about the fact that exercise and Christianity share some common qualities. One of the qualities that carry over to each other very well is: the endurance to finish the race. It also warns that while exercise could be self-centered (to make myself better), it should be God-centered (to glorify God). The writer talks about how exercise has brought on many times of intimacy with God. This reminds me of myself. I love to go for walks with just me and God. I'll be talking like a lunatic in the streets to my God as we walk together through my neighborhood. I've learnt many valuable lessons and had some really good prayer sessions on the road.
You don't have to be the next marathon winner or the next Olympic champion, but it is your responsibility to look after that amazing body that God has given you. If you already exercise, think about ways that you can use it to glorify God and reach the lost.
Check out this amazing video to motivate Christians to exercise: Running with God.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below. Be blessed, Saun.
