How Does Physical Fitness Fit into God’s Will For My Life?
Have you ever decided that you will buckle down and implement a fitness regimen, one that you will actually stick with, only to fall off of the plan shortly thereafter? So have I! After all, I’ve got people to tend to, a home to mostly keep clean, bills to pay, and a host of other responsibilities. Add in taking care of spiritual and emotional health, and at times it feels impossible for physical health to get any attention on top of all the other demands in life. However, since physical health is kinda important to this whole life thing, it’s worthwhile to figure out how to fit it into our busy schedules!
Unfortunately, there isn’t a 2-minute Tik Tok life hack for this problem because everyone’s unique life requires its own solution. However, lucky for us, we serve a God who cares about all of our individual needs, and He desires to give us direction. All we need to do is ASK. Here’s the proof.
Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.”
James 4:8 assures us that if we draw near to God, He will come close to us.
Psalm 119:105 God’s word is a lamp for our feet, a light for our path.
My oldest daughter has trouble with this whole “asking” step. Her steadfast independence often leads to frustration. I love her drive, but man, would I be happy if she would ask me or her dad for help more! I wonder if God feels the same. We have such a rich source of wisdom available to us that our Father longs to give us. Therefore, let’s start there. We can ask, “God, how do you want me to steward this physical body you’ve given me while being faithful to all my other responsibilities?”
The Spiritual Purpose for Physical Exercise
Define your “box-top vision”
Seeking God’s will and wisdom to this question, or any need in life, often requires a patient devotion to Him and HIs word. So let’s examine what the Bible has to say about this issue. Before tackling the detailed solution, let’s back up a smidge and see what God’s word says about an overall big vision for our lives.
In Luke 10:27 Jesus says, “the two greatest commands are to love the Lord thy God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.”
If Jesus calls these the greatest commands, then I think we have a great foundation for us to build upon. Visioning a completed project can be so helpful in finding direction. It reminds me of a puzzle and a mentoring program I’ve recently become acquainted with called Season Builders. The program describes the big vision of life as your puzzle box top. Knowing what you’re aiming for provides a much clearer path forward. So let’s visualize for each of our lives a puzzle meshed together of loving God and others in so many uniquely beautiful ways. Imagine setting this box top somewhere constantly in your vision as a reminder of where you’re going.
2. Identify Your Four Corners: Key Components of Overall Wellness
With that vision planted in plain sight, let’s take the next logical step and identify the four corners of our life puzzles. Fortunately, Luke 10:27 already gives us four key pieces: He tells us to love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind. I like to think of these as the emotional (heart), spiritual (soul), physical (strength), and mental (mind) components of our lives, all with significant roles. Notice that the verse doesn’t say “Love God with all your strength”. We are not just physical creatures. We are complex with many different parts working together and are given the honor of stewarding each important part SO THAT we can complete our overall goal of Loving God and others.
But, as you likely know, it’s impossible to Love God and others if you are pouring from an empty cup! If we want to be about our Father’s mission, we first have to let him fill up our cups.
3. Fill in the Edges: The Power of God’s Love for Your Health
The edge pieces of our life puzzle are all about receiving the love of God, connecting us physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. This is the good stuff, the glue that holds us together. When we’re connected with God’s love through Christ, the inner, detailed pieces of our lives are much easier to fill in with loving Him and others.
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Can you think for a moment about ways you can receive God’s love in all four key elements of your life: physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally?
Ways to receive God’s love:
Physically: Walk in nature, be mindfully grateful of how your body can move you places.
Spiritually: Lay before God in receptive prayer. Consider what He loves about you.
Emotionally: Journal about how you are feeling. Pray through these feelings with a friend or the Lord to receive comfort and care for them.
Mentally: Learn about a book of the Bible or a story in the BIble you’re not familiar with that will teach you more about God’s love.
4. Complete the Puzzle: A Health Strategy for Your Stage of Life
Ok, now that we’ve laid out the framework, we can start filling in the inner puzzle pieces of life! Isn’t it fun to see a puzzle come together! Piece by piece as we love God and others, all the detailed areas of life connect in a beautiful way. It can take time, but the journey teaches us to focus on one part of the puzzle at a time. Similarly, with our lives, we’re our best selves when we attend to the season we’re in. Each season requires focus in order to walk the path God has carved for each of us.
Try this journaling activity. Keep in mind the time and resources you have available IN THIS CURRENT SEASON of your life. Prayerfully consider how God wants you to love Him and the people placed in your path?
Now, as you might do with a puzzle. Look ahead to another section of your life. Consider how God could possibly call you to love Him and others in your future seasons, perhaps the next 5-10 years.
When you identify in your mind and heart some plans God has for you, back up a step and ask this crucial question when it comes to your physical health: How do I need to care for my physical self IN ORDER TO, Lord willing, live out all those beautiful plans? (This is also a good exercise for your mental, emotional, and spiritual health, but for the sake of this article, let’s narrow in on the physical.)
As an example, perhaps one of your God-given goals is to love the children well that He’s placed in your care.
What does this require of your physical self? Energy, mobility, reaction speed (because at least once will a toddler run out into a road!) What about rest? If you’re in a stage of pouring out care and attention into other humans, your body is going to need plenty of recovery time!
Now, let's drill down further. An exercise plan that can help your body during the parenting stage, might look like the following:
20 minutes of cardio 4-5 times per week (can include activities with your kids like swimming, biking, playing tag, jumping on the trampoline)
Resistance training 3 times a week (for a time-saving bonus incorporate exercises that work multiple muscles at a time like a weighted squat and overhead press)
Give attention to the muscles that are often used in parenting like your lower back that helps you bend down to give little ones a bath.
Stretching/Recovery: Squeeze it in as much as possible. Playing blocks on the floor? Try sitting in a butterfly position and stretch out those hips. Little one napping? Lay on the floor and let your body relax.
Let’s Recap: Steps to Follow for a Purpose-Filled Exercise Plan
Exercise plans rarely need to be complex and difficult. Sure, the world gives us a plethora of choices, but when you know clearly why you want to take care of your body, the puzzle pieces come together nicely. Let’s review!
Know your box-top vision. A good one for a believer is to Love God and Love Others as yourself. Pray with the Lord about what His box top vision might be for you specifically.
Recognize that your four corners, physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental health are all key elements that need care in order for you to be truly well.
Receive love. Let the love of Christ complete the edges of your life puzzle emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically. This is the framework that allows you to give love.
Prayerfully ask God to show you how and who He has called you to love in your current and future seasons of life.
Consider how to care for and build up the parts of yourself needed for the plans God has laid out for you.
Always reference step 1 and reference your box top as needed.
Keep Going with our Guided Joyful Movement Series
If this post has resonated with you but you need to see what integrating your faith and fitness could practically look like, join Kasey for a series of 5 full workout videos to guide you from fitness burnout to joyful movement with the Lord. Bring your body and a willing heart—hand weights and bands optional!
Download this video series for free, and let’s get moving by grace, together:
