Fit for God

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NLT)

Many years ago, this key verse, enlightened, then impacted, my spirit, mind and body. Have you ever had a scripture jump off the page and dive directly into your heart? Well, this one did just that, and thus began the process, the journey, of transforming everything within me.

The first and greatest change began with the mind-set, how I thought about the purpose of my life, exercise, relationships, working, eating, children, church and friendships. With the understanding of this scripture that my body was on loan from God, and that his son, Jesus Christ, paid the highest price for my body, there was newfound clarity that He suffered unjustly, horrifically, for me to live and make choices for myself. I was profoundly changed! At the very least, I can praise God and honor him, while taking extra special care of my spirit, mind and body.

Reading and repeating the scripture verse over and over, encouraged personal introspection about my reasoning for working out. Was I working out to look good or to honor God? Was I working out to prove something or to honor my Savior, the one who sacrificed everything for me? Well…with lots of prayer and reading God’s Word, things began to quickly change as the Holy Spirit did its work in me. The Spirit of God did a spring cleaning, while rearranging priorities within my life. Toxic thoughts, un-forgiveness, hurts, woundedness, loneliness, and rejection, which were affecting my spiritual and physical well-being in a negative way, began to be purged by the power of God!

God helped me sort through the garbage in my heart, tossing out the old junk and replacing it with His love. Anything which did not bring honor and glory to God was out of there! I started feeling more alive, the junk that was weighing me down, He began to carry for me. I began to feel hopeful, lighter, energetic, and excited to be honoring God!

So, how and where do we start? We start here and now. Not tomorrow, next week, or when the weather is better in the spring. Delay is the devil’s best tool. Ask yourself, what can I do today to make my life healthier and Holier? It is really simple and uncomplicated. Choose an activity that will engage your large muscle groups and elevate your heart rate for at least 20-30 minutes. They can include, walking, running, cycling, swimming, group fitness classes, gardening etc. If you are just getting started, do the activity for ten minutes for the first couple of weeks until your body adjusts. Then, as the body adjusts and the exercise gets easier, increase the time. Before you know it, you will be getting fit! Simple, right? So, why isn’t everyone taking care of their bodies? Mind-set is the biggest factor!

Have you prayed and asked God’s help in taking steps to be healthier? Scripture and prayer are the best pieces of equipment for being fit in 2020, even more important than comfortable workout shoes. Put in the prayer time with God, and then put on the cute workout shoes!

We all understand the body functions more efficiently when our blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels are normal, and we can see the damage done to the body by complacency. We can also agree we function more efficiently when our mind-set is in a positive healthy place. According to God’s Word, our mind-set directly affects our hearts, so it’s a good idea to think upward and not backward.

Proverbs 23:7 reads, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (NKJV)

How we think directly affects our motives and actions. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (NKJV)

God’s plans for each of us requires our cooperation, a trusting faith laced with a can-do positive attitude, and in thankfulness, the healthiest body we can be.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

When we combine our workouts, prayer, and daily dependence on Him, with God’s Word, love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and wisdom, while depending only on His strength, we can become FIT for Him. This FITNESS produces changes in the way we think, our motives, agendas, activities and relationships, and we become noticeably stronger in our spirit, mind and body.

Prayer
God, help us take healthy steps that bring honor to You through our spirit, mind and body. Let our desire be to bring You glory and honor in every area of our lives. Let your will be done in our lives on earth as it is written in Heaven. To you be all honor and glory and praise, forever, Amen.

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