There’s a verse on my wall that has come to be a daily encouragement to me:
“I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 3:14
I’ve come to realize that this upward call involves my spiritual and physical life more than I ever thought.
You know that reel on social media trying to convince you to finally start working out and “eat healthier”? Maybe you’ve dismissed it, reminding yourself that “I’m beautiful just the way God made me.”
Or maybe you’ve wanted to engage with different “health and wellness” trends you’ve seen but you’ve been afraid of what others may think or that you’ll just be wasting your time. I mean, as Christians, shouldn’t we just be focused on growing our relationship with God and serving those around us?
Well the good news is that we can do both. In fact, the Bible commands us to do both.
Our lives cannot be compartmentalized
I used to think that growing in my spiritual life would have nothing to do with my body but as I have grown in my faith, I’ve realized that nothing could be farther from the truth. Our spiritual lives are deeply connected to our physical lives and how we act in one area of our lives will have a negative or positive impact on the other areas. As Christians we can often be under the impression that our sole focus should be “spiritual things” and our souls. But our souls benefit or suffer directly from what we do physically. We can often think of ourselves like a guitar – with our bodies being the guitar case. You can take the guitar out and play it beautifully regardless of the case. But we are actually more like a ball of yarn. Pull on one string and you’re affecting all the others. And the Bible tells us that we are not just a soul. Or just a body. We are both.
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.1 Corinthians 3:16-17
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.1 Corinthians 10:31
This means that each part of our lives is an area of worship, including working out and what we eat.
It also means that we are Holy – set apart! What do you do with something that is precious, valuable, and set apart for a special purpose? You take careful care of it and keep it clean. When you pay a good deal of money for your prom outfit, you’re not about to go running through the mud in it anytime soon. We should see ourselves as valuable works of art and treat our bodies like we would treat any other thing of extreme value and worth. Our God doesn’t care about one or the other. He wants us to maximize and bring glory to him through both.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.Romans 12:1-2
We see clearly that our spiritual lives are not confined to just Sunday and how often we read the Bible, but also how we treat our bodies. The renewing of our minds is connected to our physical body. For it is ultimately a shift in mindset that will allow you to change and grow. This should be an encouragement to us, knowing that we have a God who cares about every area of our lives! He doesn’t command us to become monks or nuns and devote hours to prayer and reading, but takes pleasure in our faithfulness in the everyday tasks and aspects of life.
A biblical view of our souls and bodies encourages and motivates us in our workouts.
When you’re unmotivated to work out, or lacking in energy and strength, remember who you belong to. Remember all the times God has strengthened his people and done the impossible. The God who enabled David to defeat Goliath and many Philistines, who gave Samson strength to break the pillars, and the God who promises to strengthen the weary, is your God. What’s more, the same spirit of endurance that enabled Christ to withstand the cross lives inside you. You are filled with his strength and power.
This mindset has a ripple effect on how we think about the challenges we face every day. Our determination and consistency in one hard area of life will empower us to be consistent and persevere wherever a challenge arises. You’ll find it easier to push through all of life’s difficult circumstances and more likely to turn to God for strength and press on when you’ve built a foundation of relying ultimately on him in even the simple everyday things like working out. I saw this quote that reminded me that working out is not mainly about how you look.
“Being fit is more than just looks – it’s a mindset, showing patience, work ethic, passion and perseverance and determination through difficult things.” – Anonymous
So as we consider our habits and goals, let us press on for the glory of God in every area of our lives, knowing that God sees and uses every part.
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