Faith & Fitness- Week 1

I'm excited to be leading a new ministry at my church called Faith & Fitness.  I will be posting the devotionals and some other content here each week. I'm playing catch-up today, as we've already completed the first 2 weeks.

Week 1: God & Your Fitness Goals

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

(includes excerpts from “Live Out Your Faith With Fitness”, a devotional plan from the You Version Bible App)

“Sometimes it seems like we hear a lot about all the other aspects of our faith-based life and not a lot about our health and fitness. But our bodies are a temple of God and we should treat them as such. As believers, the world is watching to see how we live, act and move- literally. Are we being good stewards with the body God has given us?”
 
I did this devotional plan in the Bible app a little while ago, and it opened my eyes.  I never thought about how God could be a part of my fitness goals!

God has allowed me to reach many new fitness milestones in the last year, but I was not really losing weight. I was building muscle but had plateaued big time with the numbers on the scale. Failure to drop the pounds caused me to lose sight of the small gains He was allowing me to make along the way. It is important to set small, measurable goals- and thank God when you reach those goals! I just kept setting the arbitrary goal to “lose weight”. Then, inspired by my friends who were running marathons, I suddenly decided I wanted to be a runner. My first measurable fitness goal was to run a 5k.  I built up my endurance with my Zumba fitness classes, and I was blessed to be able to meet that goal this past April.
 
“Pray about what your health goals should be. God cares about your health. If you don’t have your health, you can’t enjoy your family, friends and most importantly, Jesus!”

I never realized my pursuit of better health could be a spiritual pursuit. Now when I’m running and feel I can’t go any further, or I’m lifting and it feels too heavy, I pray for the strength to keep going.  In yoga class, I don’t chant or set my focus inward, I pray, and I thank God for the ability to exercise, and for allowing me to take care of my health (not to mention the relaxing hour of stretching without my children screaming & climbing over me while I plank!). When I reach new goals, I rejoice that God has allowed me to improve.  I feel closer to Him through fitness.