Spiritual Fitness

We are a nation obsessed with physical fitness - or perhaps the lack thereof. Scripture teaches us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we are not our own - we belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:19).  Therefore, we have a obligation to care for "our" bodies because they are simply on loan from God. I have to admit that this is an area where I've struggled and I am starting to take steps to correct this problem in my life.

The way society views physical fitness intrigues me. What are the reasons that we desire a fit body? I've already mentioned the stewardship aspect of caring for our bodies because they actually belong to God, but I don't think that is the main force that drives most of us. Perhaps it is because we want to maximize our lives here on earth in order to live a long and healthy life? Perhaps it is because our society places a high standard on the way we look and we are sometimes judged (rightly or wrongly) by our physical appearance? Perhaps it is for our own self esteem? Regardless of the reason(s) one thing is true, if we are not in top shape it is difficult to hide that fact from ourselves each morning when we look in the mirror or from others.

While I think that caring for ourselves physically is very important for many reasons, what interests me is do we place the same amount of concern and care for our spiritual fitness as we do our physical fitness. When we are physically out of shape, it shows - literally. When we are spiritually out of shape it can show too, but not quite as obviously. What if it did? Would that change our approach to spiritual fitness?

There are several things that contribute to our physical fitness: eating properly, exercise, abstaining from harmful habits, etc. If we neglect these things, our physical bodies are affected negatively. There are also things that contribute to our spiritual fitness: prayer, Bible study, fellowship with other believers, worship of God, etc. If we neglect these things, our spiritual fitness is affected negatively.

I think it is important to note that not only are these things important, it is important that we do them correctly. If we become unbalanced on the things we eat our bodies suffer. If we do not make an effort to partake of the whole of Scripture our spiritual fitness suffers. For example, when we study the Bible or seek out teachers who teach the Bible do we only look for the "sweets" of Scripture or do we also seek out the "protein" and "vegetables" as well? Do we only partake of the cupcakes and pastries or do we also crave leafy greens and lean meat? What would our physical bodies look like if we nourished them like we nourish our spiritual lives?

Physical fitness is important - so is spiritual fitness. It is my prayer that we not only take care of our bodies, but also care for our souls.

Blessings,

David