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On Fitness and Faith

"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 NIV

I just sat down after doing another heavy duty home workout. For Christmas my wife gave me a home fitness program called P90X. (I try not to think about what might have happened to me if I had given her a fitness program for Christmas or birthday.) Anyway, I am on day 51 of the 90 day program and I am feeling better, more fit than I have in years.

But, I am not naive. I know that my tired, 49 year old body is never going to look like the really annoying guy who leads these workouts on the DVD. And I'm okay with that. As long as I can be healthy and active, I will feel very blessed.

Check out any gym or fitness center. So many people faithfully and passionately devoted to physical fitness and appearance. I don't blame them a bit. But I can't help but wish more people were just as dedicated to their spiritual growth and development. How would you rate your spiritual health compared to your physical fitness? How much effort do we make each day to get our faith pumped and ripped? How much spiritual cardio do we do to make our heart more like God's?

You and I are much more than the flesh and bones that we carry around each day. And long after these beautiful bodies have become food for worms, our real self will linger into eternity. Better take the long view. Better get in shape for the life to come.
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jenniferharrisdault said…
I find it hard to separate the two, but that may be because when I'm at the gym, I tend to have lectures/sermons on my mp3 player, and when I'm outside running, I'm noticing creation and the way my body is designed to work. So I suppose my wish isn't that I would focus more on one or the other -- or on something else, but that I would be better attuned to God's presence in every facet of life.
March 24, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Drew Hill said…
Jennifer, I certainly agree with you. There is a strong connection between the physical and the spiritual, and I find that when I am disciplined in one, it carries over into the other. My early morning trail runs have long been a special part of my devotional life. That's why it's so sad to see people obsessed with their body's appearance with no thought given to their inner life. God is right there but they never seem to notice.
March 24, 2009 at 11:08 AM
jenniferharrisdault said…
Right. And to clarify, I'm not in disagreement with your original post -- I think you are right in your observations.

And now I'm jealous of your early morning trail runs!
March 24, 2009 at 11:12 AM
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