Biblical Fitness

 Hello, Fit and Free Before 30 readers! It's my honor (and your unfortunate circumstance) to have been asked by Laura to write a guest post. I have known Laura for a number of years and have enjoyed reading of her journey here, as have you, I hope! I want to write to you all about a great topic of Laura's choosing - the spiritual and Biblical "why" of fitness. I could write for days on this, but I won't do that to you. I want you to keep coming back and reading Laura's blog!

   I think we can all pretty quickly identify cultural or physical reasons for exercise; lose weight, lower cholesterol, look better, build muscles, meet people, get skinny, and the list goes on. These are not bad reasons, but often we neglect the fact that our souls have desire in fitness, too. We, myself included, often mistake the feeling of satisfaction after a good workout to be one of a physical, even a chemical, reward for our work. Couldn't it also be that our souls, after receiving the care they need, also give us a similar feeling?

   I use the word "soul" with some hesitation, because it has such an odd connotation in the culture of the U.S. It seems to carry a sense of divination and uneducated ways, as though I would like us all to be fearing evil spirits or voodoo priests taking our souls from us. When I speak of the soul, I mean to talk about the inner being who God made us to be. Psalm 139 states that God knows us, and formed us, even before we were born and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. So often, though, we don't treat ourselves that way.



Photo courtesy of ELCA

   We tend to abuse ourselves, either by undervaluing ourselves or by overworking ourselves (and, unfortunately, both can happen simultaneously). Undervaluing ourselves means that any old food or habits will do, because we don't respect ourselves or our bodies. Would you serve some Little Debbie treat or fast food to someone you honor and respect? Overworking ourselves, on the other hand, is almost applauded in our culture. We congratulate overworking because it achieves things - promotions, weight loss, and adventures. However, it can mean that our expectations are too high and, if we're not careful, we will quickly find that our body is something to be conquered.

   I would suggest, however, that our body is not something to be conquered, but worked with. 1 Corinthians describes our body as a temple, not a battleground. And, although we don't always want to hear it, our bodies are not our own. We weren't put here just to enjoy life, although it can certainly be very enjoyable. Our bodies don't belong to us, but have been paid for, and should be used for the benefit of all. And that part is fun! That means that by being able to play with my kids, help a friend move, inspire someone to make changes in their life, and do all kinds of other things is an act of worship!

   So, whatever your reason for exercising (or not exercising), take a few moments and ponder where your soul is in all of the hustle and bustle of your life. We're all busy, we all have needs, and your soul is no different. Find something that rewards your soul and do it. It can be going for a run without your phone (gasp!), enjoying a cup of coffee, cleaning the house, sitting under a tree, reading a book, or simply taking a few moments at the beginning of a meal to take in the smells of the food. Find it, do it, and take care of yourself!

Read more about Bryan here!

Bryan lives in Mason City, IA with his beautiful wife and children. He's a seminary student, musician, and runner who strives to find God in every detail of life. He blogs at www.psucherunning.wordpress.com where you can read some of his insights, as well as his sermons and random running related stuff. You can also download a free EP of some of his music at http://noisetrade.com/bryanodeen/husbanddaddyson.