SATURDAY October 3, 2020

The Benefits of Physical Fitness

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice…
Romans 12:1

Before we continue forward with Romans 12, I would like to return back for a moment at what Paul taught in Romans 12:1. He taught that our bodies are to be living sacrifices. It is important to view our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). It is important to take care of ourselves physically. People either take care of their bodies or they abuse their bodies. God has given to us wisdom in regards to taking care of our bodies. We are certainly not to abuse them.

Just as we are to be spiritually fit, we need to be physically fit as well, especially if we desire to live longer, and more importantly serve God longer. If a person does not take care of their body, they can get physically ill. Many people have not been able to serve the Lord to a greater capacity because of neglecting to care for themselves physically. Our whole self––body, soul and spirit is to be a living sacrifice.

Understand, a person needs to remain fit, because they need their body to serve the Lord with. People cannot let themselves go because in reality, a person can shorten their life’s productivity. As we age, our bodies begin to be prone to sickness, our joints get stiffer, and we slow down. Yet if we exercise, we can remain flexible and physically fit. It is also important to eat a healthy diet––you are what you eat! If you want to serve the Lord, see your grandchildren, and your great grandchildren, then you need to take care of yourself physically, as you do spiritually.

Remember, even though we are created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:26), our bodies are important to us––not just the soul and spirit. What do you do for personal, physical exercise? Physical fitness is good, it has its benefits, but spiritual fitness is far greater.

For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
~1 Timothy 4:8~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!