Or are you not aware that your body is a temple of the holy spirit in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price. By all means glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20, Concordant New Testament
I have been asked more than a few times from those who are in the Christ in us crowd why it is that I devote so much time and efforts to my fitness journey. I mean, if our flesh bodies are simply vessels which contain the Lord Christ within us, why even try to salvage this flesh of ours? In the end will not the flesh simply wither away like the grass in summer? Yes, but there is a good reason as to why I continue to improve my health. The apostle Paul lays it out for us in 1 Corinthians when he speaks to this body of ours being a gift from the Lord {1 Corinthians 6:19}. Not only that, it is a temple of the spirit of Christ Jesus who is in us. It is not in temples of stone which Jesus dwells, but in the Fathers children {Acts 17:24}. I find it funny that man spends all kinds of money and resources on the most elaborate church brick and mortar buildings while ignoring the truth of Christ Jesus in us. I used to think that the biggest and most elaborate church buildings were the most favored by God. Why wouldn't God desire to be in such ornate surroundings? Well, for starters, in those big and beautiful buildings, God is seldom the focus. Second, the larger the building, the more it costs to maintain it. For example, as of 2023, the Catholic church had an estimated yearly income of 30 BILLION dollars. Yes, 30 billion. It's not surprising that the Catholic church also continues to be one of the main builder of ornate churches as well. Some of the most well known cathedrals in the world are houses of worship in the Catholic faith. My point is, if we spend billions of dollars maintaining stone temples which do not house the spirit of the Lord, why would we not invest that much and more in the temple of the body in which He dwells? At least that is my thinking. Paul tells us that we should "Glorify God in your body" {1 Corinthians 6:20}. My own fitness journey is simply my way of honoring the Lord within me. This flesh body is not my own, I have zero ownership rights to it. All which I have is a gift from the Father. Still, there are those who will wonder why it is that I try to maintain something that will soon pass away. Remember, that it is through the children of the Father that the world will come to see and know Jesus. As Christ Jesus works through us, the world will come to see Him firsthand.
"You are the light of the world. A city located upon a mountain can not be hid. Neither are they burning a lamp and placing it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it is shining to all those in the house. Thus let your light shine in front of men, so that they may perceive your ideal acts and should glorify the Father who is in the heavens.
Matthew 5: 14-16, Concordant New Testament
It is Jesus Himself who calls upon us to "Let your light shine." It is most certainly the desire of the Father that we should let the light of Christ shine forth from us. If we are in good health, does that not present more opportunities for the light of Christ Jesus within us to illuminate the world? Of course, as Paul has proclaimed, we are not our own, and it is ultimately the Fathers decision how our days are numbered. So, knowing this, is it a losing battle knowing that our days are numbered? Not at all. My intent has been that I shall glorify the Father in my flesh body as Paul has proclaimed. One of the best ways I can do that is by devoting time and effort to my fitness journey. This body I inhabit is a gift from the Father, so why wouldn't we do our best to honor and take care of it? Of course, this has not always been my thinking, but as I grew in my knowledge of Christ Jesus in me I began to see things differently. I have also been blessed to share my experiences with a few of my gym partners I see during the week. The light of Christ shining from me.
~Scott~
No comments:
Post a Comment