5 VALUES THAT PHYSICAL EXERCISE CAN TEACH US
As a spiritual person, I always thought working out was for carnal people. After all, the Bible says, “for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come.” 1 Tim 4:8. This was a strong enough reason for me not to place much priority on exercising and focus more on the spiritual exercises of praying, fasting, studying, meditation, and teaching the word of God. But a closer look at the same text reveals that; “physical exercise is profitable for a little”. The amplified version of the Bible says, “For physical training is of some value (useful for a little)…”. This means even though its usefulness is little when compared to spiritual exercise, there is “some value” in physical exercise. Paul compared some deep spiritual truths to physical exercises in 1 Cor. 9:24-27 because the spirit realm is not seen with the naked eye yet through the physical, we perceive the influence and effects of one’s spirit. The spiritual and the physical are deeply connected. For example, you are reading this article with your physical eyes, but it would if permitted make deep impressions in your spirit (Ephesians 1:18). There are various spiritual values that are exemplified through physical exercise. What I mean is, it requires a strong physical/flesh/minds involvement to nurture these values. Some of such are discussed below.
1. DISCIPLINE
One reason why people do not like to exercise is that it requires a lot of discipline. The word discipline basically means training oneself to obey a rule or code of behavior to achieve the desired purpose. This training could mean subjecting the flesh, mind, or more towards to goal. Athletes are often some of the most disciplined groups of people. They live on strict diets for a long period of time and train regularly to gain mastery over their bodies so they can perform at their very best to meet their goal. Our souls [Thus the mind] require similar discipline to afford to give our spirit man constant leadership of our triune being. Regular studying and doing of the word of God in faith through love aids in keeping our spirit “fit”.
2. FOCUS
Have you ever run in a long-distance race and whiles you were at it you kept looking over your shoulder to see if the person behind you is gaining on you? Well, chances are that when you do realize he is gaining on you, you will increase your speed and instantly be drained of all the energy forgetting that you have about 5000 more meters to go.
As Christians, we can sometimes lose focus on what is truly important in life.
Focus is the state of having a clear visual definition of a goal. Paul says in 1 Cor. 9:26-27, “I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air: but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected”. When we define the focus of our lives as one to be lived with Christ at its center, we live a life that glorifies our Father in heaven. Focus is definitely hard. Focusing in one direction means neglecting another and thus focus comes at a cost yet it bears worthwhile fruit in the end. When you work out in the gym, there is a time you focus on say the biceps, your legs, the chest, or elsewhere. In doing so, you are neglecting other areas yet by giving attention to one area at a time, you achieve the goal you set to see in that side receiving your focus. Similarly, as Christians, there are times we ought to ask ourselves, “Where am I lacking progress in my spiritual walk?” This constant assessment will help us to know where to focus to make sure we are receiving a balanced growth in Christ.
3. HEALTHY LIFE
The body is of the earth and it houses our spirit, but it must be nourished by the food from the earth. Our spirit is however from the breath of God (Gen 2:7) so we do not live on bread alone but by the words[Instructions] from our creator; God. Mat 4:4. We have a duty to keep our inner man or spirit in good health by feeding and meditating on the word of God. Physical exercise puts a strain on your muscles and as such people who are exercising require a protein and carbohydrate-rich diet to keep the body well nourished. In the same way, when you are living by the Spirit (Rom 8:14) you will need a regular dose of the word mixed with faith and working by love (Gal 5:6) to have a healthy spiritual relationship in Christ.
4. DEPENDENCE ON GOD
Your motivation in the beginning stages of an exercise session may dwindle and a lot of perseverance is then required to get through to the end. The body will be calling for you to quit hence it will be your goal to get in shape that will motivate you to persevere. In essence, your dependence is upon your goal. Fortunately, as Christians, we have a formidable hope we can always depend on. We can completely depend on God. He becomes our source of motivation anytime and we sure can count on his guidance and counsel through our inner man. Our senior partner, the Holy Spirit, likewise has been sent to aid us and remain with us. The flesh truly is weak (Mar 14:38) and it continuously wars against the Spirit (Gal. 5:17). Thus reclining unto the supply of God makes our spiritual walk in Christ much easier (Phi. 4:19). Our hope is built on Christ in God and he is the only rock we can firmly stand on.
5. DOER OF THE WORD
It is one thing reading and studying God’s word and another being a doer of the word. You can sit and watch videos of people exercising and know all the benefits and methods of exercising but if you are not doing any exercise yourself, your knowledge isn’t beneficial to you in any way. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves (Jam. 1:22). Likewise exercising builds up muscle strength, and being a doer of the word brings the benefits of God’s blessing in the life of the doer. There can be no progress without any action!
The redemption required a deed; thus Jesus’ death, not just his teachings. He fulfilled the word given to Him by the Father.
Let’s follow Jesus’ example and be doers of the word and not hearers only (Jas 1:22) to receive the blessing of the knowledge that the word promises.
There’s a Chinese proverb that says,
“Not having heard something is not as good as having heard it; having heard it is not as good as having seen it; having seen it is not as good as knowing it; knowing it is not as good as putting it into practice”.
So go ahead, train yourself spiritually and enjoy the benefits of God’s grace; His love, and the unending flow of his goodness.
