3 Ways to become physically and spiritually fit and healthy

Exercise had little value growing up in a Pentecostal church. In fact, the Bible clearly said it “profiteth little” they preached. Instead, spiritual matters were of importance not the body. Such belief was based on the scripture from the King James Version of the Bible which said, “bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things” (1 Timothy 4:8). Though there was some truth to their belief, it was not entirely so. They had failed to comprehend the English language fully, for the scripture did not say exercise was meaningless but rather in terms of benefit the spiritual by far outweighed the physical. As spiritual beings we are stuck in a physical body. And today some of us have stretched our birth suits to proportions of great size or simply neglected them. Being good stewards, however, involves caring for our bodies also. Understanding that the two worlds, physical and spiritual, parallel each other is to begin to recognize the degree of fitness required to exist in both.

Here are three ways to be fit and healthy both physically and spiritually:

1. Cardio:

It is important to exercise daily. The heart is a muscle that requires aerobic type of exercises. No or little exercise can result in cardiovascular diseases and obesity.

Spiritual Parallel: Prayer

No or little prayer will result in worldly obesity or an impure heart. We have been called to be distinct from the world in our desires, motives, and outlook of life: “But you are chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession” (I Peter 2:9 NCV). Jesus said of His followers, “They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world” (John 17:16 NCV).

This type of spiritual exercise must be done daily in order to accomplish spiritual fitness.
 
What exercise is to the body is what prayer is to the spirit being.

2.Weight bearing exercises:

The body has two main energy systems: aerobic and anaerobic. Whereas the efficiency of the aerobic system is affiliated with the heart, the anaerobic system is connected with the muscles, especially in activities such as weight training. Resistant training should be an integral part of our life. After the age of 25, we lose more than one-half pound of muscle every year. Imagine a house. Your body is like a house. Weight training helps to sustain the structure.

Spiritual Parallel: Adversity/ Hardship/ Struggles

Adversity builds spiritual muscle. The spiritual muscle that is built is called character: “We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3-4 NCV).

Adversity, then, is a stepping-stone to a higher level. It is progress in the making. But so many times this is not our outlook. We do not see the pressures in life or the weights we must bear in life as means of refining us in order to become better individuals. If we do not learn to confront the struggles in life by applying the Word of God and see them as opportunities to become stronger, we become flabby Christians.

Adversity the opportunity to discover the greatness within.

3.Stretching:

Stretching is a necessary component of fitness. It increases physical efficiency and performance. It improves muscular balance and postural awareness.

Spiritual Parallel: Faith

When we are challenged in life, our faith is also. We are stretched to surpass our present condition. God stretches us when we allow Him to dream through us. If we are able to accomplish a task all by ourselves, our faith is not stretched. Our faith is stretched when we look to God to achieve the dreams He births in us: With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20 NCV).

Dare to allow God to dream through you.