September 25: Fitness Day

 

September 25:  Fitness Day 

Fitness Day as a holiday began in the early 2000’s and has since become a way to improve how people feel, lose weight, and grow stronger. The Fitness Day website hosts events all over the United States in cooperation with companies such as Athleta, Girls on the Run, and Class Pass to help men and women bring exercise into their daily lives and challenge themselves.

It is an amazing fact of creation that God designed us to move.  God’s mandate to those created in His image was not “sit on the couch, watch MASH re-runs and eat a bag of chips.”  He wired our brains to reward and reinforce physical activity with chemicals called “endorphins.” Exercise makes for happier humans.

In my many travels around the world, I have observed that there is no country like the USA when it comes to overweight and obese people.  “Sedentary” is a fact of life here.  I know.  I struggle with this myself.  So what are we to do to honor God with our bodies?

First, accept that physical activity and exercise are part of God’s good, perfect creation.  We were made to push our bodies.  Paul wrote to Timothy “Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:4-5)  That includes exercise.  Receive it and embrace it as the gift from God that it is.  While many struggle with exercise-inhibiting disabilities, there is still a place for exercise, received with thanksgiving.

Second, make your exercise “holy” by treating your body for what it truly is—an essential part of our God-glorifying pursuits.  “The word of God and prayer” sanctify exercise by giving us the right perspective.  “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.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Our bodies are not ends in themselves. Our outward appearance is not ultimate.  But a well-functioning body is critical in giving God His due. 

Finally, prioritize your exercise by establishing a routine.  “…for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8).  There is value in exercising your body.  Make it a part of each week.  But never forget that spiritual exercise releases “spiritual endorphins” that are of value in this life and the next. 

Today, examine your routine.  Pray over this question.  That, too, is part of how we make our exercise routine “holy.” Start small.  Don’t run out and get a gym membership and commit to a 2-hour workout every day.  Take a brisk walk.  Do some simple strength training at your desk or while you drive.  Build from there.  And for every minute you commit to physical fitness, devote two to your spiritual fitness.  Both will do you good, in this life, and the next.