The Fit Christian is published bi-monthly by His Work Christian Publishing out of Ketchikan, Alaska.   There are typically articles on exercising, healthy recipes, gardening and a spotlight on a Christian athlete.  You can elect to receive the magazine free by email.

Enjoy!

Today marks the start of  brief weekly posts with the title of Wellness Wednesday. Addressing topics of spirit, mind and body health from a Christian faith perspective, my idea will be to reuse some of the material I have already written and also to share current info and insights I have on the topic of total wellness.

If you’re a graphic artist and would like to design a unique graphic that I can regularly use for this regular post, I’d love to see what you might suggest. Please contact me.

The FITT Principle

If you were working with a personal trainer, he/she would keep in mind the FITT acronym in developing your workout plan. He’d want to determine the frequency(F) of your workouts, the intensity(I) or how hard you’d perform the exercises, the duration or amount of time(T) you’d engage in the various exercises and the various types(T) of exercises you should perform. These are all basic considerations when working out physically.

Spiritual Fitness & Spiritual Exercises

This FITT acronym can also be helpful in addressing your spiritual fitness program as you consider the various “exercises” that you participate in to be spiritually fit.

Read a 1-page article I have written on spiritual fitness,  spiritual exercises and the FITT principle.

Have a great Wednesday… and be well.

About 5 years ago I read a book by Dr. Kara Davis, a practicing internal medicine physician, on the secrets to losing weight.  It was based upon the application of the different “fruits of the spirit” addressed in Galatians 5:22-23.

Her new book is Spiritual Secrets to Weight Loss.  A 50-Day Renewal of Body, Mind and Spirit. It combines spiritual truths of the Bible with practical yet medically sound advise on eating and physical activity.

I’ve read the introduction and the first of the 50 four-page chapters and scanned over the remainder of the book.  One thing is clear -  Davis’ heart is that people know the loving God of the Bible and that they be in good health. This book would be great to read read as a devotional over a 50 day period and I suspect could be a life-changing experience for some of you.

“For He (God) has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He (God) has filled with what is good.” Psalm 107:9

Questions to Reflect On:

Are struggling with your weight and ready to grow more deeply in your relationship with God and yourself?  If so,  I strongly recommend you read this book.

Do you know of a friend or family member who is challenged by their weight?  Consider sharing this post and book with them.

Resources for Weight Management and Weight Loss

Article – Spiritual Exercises to Help You Know God Better and Manage Your Weight

Article – Overweight? Find Freedom From Overeating

Scripture Listing – Scriptures for Weight Loss and Weight Management

Monterey, California - 1981

Today I went for a short run before the summer heat and humidity rose too much.  The forecast high in Charlotte is 93.  On many of my runs I get ideas for my posts on my blog and that was the case today.

The thought popped into my mind that I have been running over 40 years. It’s actually been 42 years as I started in the 10th grade in Atlanta, Georgia. Through high school, prep school, college and then for a time afterwords, I enjoyed success as a long distance runner… the longer the distance the more competitive I was. My last major run in a competition was the Louisville Marathon in 1985.  Since that time, I’ve run primarily to stay healthy, fit and manage my stress.  I also enjoy it.

As my thoughts during  my run continued, I wondered how many miles I might have run over the years.  I suspected that I could come up with a pretty good estimate because I kept good records when I was competing in school and afterwords for a while.  When I finished my run, showered and ate, I went upstairs to pull my running logs off the shelf of my bookcase.  I used 3-ring spiral notebooks, typically using one page to log my running efforts during each week.

High School Running Log

Looking over the notebooks revealed some neat facts and memories.  On Sunday, September 1, 1968, I ran my 1000th mile.  During three years of high school, I logged 1,914 miles.  The most covered in one day was 18 and the most in a week was 60.  At West Point, I ran during cross country, indoor and outdoor track.  At the peak of my competitiveness, I was averaging close to 8 miles/day and on Thursday, December 13th,  1973, I passed the 10,000 mile mark!

Over the last 25 years or so, my runs have been about 2-3 miles and I’ve gotten out two or three times a week.  By my calculations, I have covered approximately 39,000 miles over these last 42 years.  Wow!  I had no idea.  I am amazed that my joints, especially my knees, have held out.  It’s a good thing that I have not continued with the competitive running.  I can’t imagine that my knees would still be hanging in there if that was the case.

I have had a major shift in my overall motivation for working out and staying in shape in the last handful of years.  It’s so that I can stay healthy which helps me better do the work that God calls me to do.  I know that I am more alert, have more energy and can stay better focused when I work out on a regular basis.  Keeping fit also contributes to reducing my chances of the many lifestyle-related diseases that could set in and hamper my efforts to do things for God.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:10 that “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Certainly, it is a miracle in itself that God designed the human body so that it could run 39,000 miles and more over a lifetime.  He has put our bodies together in unimaginable ways. My Heart has beaten at least 1.8 trillion times over the last 58 years.  Imagine that! Another miracle.

In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 we are reminded by Paul “Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.” (New Living Translation – First Edition)

Personalized License Plate

Clearly there is much benefit to being physically fit, but it is even more important to be spiritually fit.  Spiritual exercises like reading the Bible, praying, surrendering to God, serving others and forgiving others are all important aspects of one’s spiritual fitness program.

The writer of Hebrews encourages us to run the race that God has set before us and we are to do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. (See Hebrews 12:1-2)  In the middle of the 12th chapter, we are encouraged to mark out a straight path for our feet so those who follow us will not stumble and fail but will become strong.

I’m thankful to God that I’m still able to enjoy my short runs and that while I am on them, He gives me the inspiration and creativity from which I can share spiritual truths with my readers.  I’m also thankful that He has given me the ‘work’ to encourage others of the faith to “remain on a straight path.”  I pray that He is also using me to share the Gospel with those who do not know Him.

In the ‘race’ of your life, don’t give up.  Stay the course. If you are a believer, others are watching you and many need to experience the love of Jesus that flows through you.  Go deeper in your faith.  If you don’t know God in a personal way and are looking for spiritual strength to help you cope with the stressors of life, consider accepting Jesus into your heart and receive His strength, peace and joy.

Questions to Ask Yourself

What ‘work’ has God called you to do? Is your health an obstacle for doing this ‘work?’

How spiritually fit are you? Are you engaged in meaning spiritual exercises throughout each week?

Do you have real peace, joy and hope because you experience Jesus’ love?

Related Material I’ve Written on Spiritual Fitness and The Connection

Article – An Introduction to Spiritual Exercises

Article – Assessing Your Spiritual Fitness

Article – Surrender: A Spiritual Exercise For a Healthier Life

Web Page – 18 Spiritual Exercises for a Healthier Life

Scriptural Basis for the Faith and Health Connection Ministry

“For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?  It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom.”  Galatians 5:6-8

1. It glorifies God
2. You’re taking care of your body -  His temple
3. It’s being a good witness
4. You’ll have more energy – be better equipped for what God has planned for you
5. I need your help with a 5th reason?

It Glorifies God

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that whatever we do we’re to do it to the glory of God. It also tells us in Isaiah that we were created and formed by God to glorify Him.  This is our primary purpose in life – to glorify God. We do that when we care for our body and live a healthy lifestyle.

Our Body is God’s Temple and for Us to Care For

One scripture that reminds us that our body is God’s temple is 1 Corinthians 19-20. God’s Holy Spirit lives inside a believer.  After we accept Jesus into heart, God gives us His Spirit to help us live the kind of life He wants us to live.  Since God actually lives in us, Paul tells us in htis verse that our body is His temple.  Since God “bought” us with a high price, Jesus’ death, than we are obligated to care for our body which is His temple.

If you are not a believer in Jesus but want to join His family, read more here.

Being Healthy is Being a Good Witness

Acts 1:8 reminds us that we are to be witnesses for other people.  People look for us to be models of the Christian faith.  We ought to desire to live our lives in a way that represents our faith well.  Taking care of our health is one way that we can be a good witness.

You’ll Have More Energy to Do God’s Work

Ephesians 2:10 helps us see that we are God’s masterpiece, created to do the good things that He had planned a long time ago for us to do.  We all know that the more fit and healthy we are the more energy we will have.  The more energy that we have, the more we can put into whatever task we are doing.  We’ll also be better able to sustain ourself for the long haul.

What’s a 5th Reason?

What is one other reason that you think God wants us to be healthy? Comment by adding a 5th reason that you think would be pleasing to God.

Something to Reflect On

What we believe determines what we do.  I suspect that if you believe what I’ve written above, and you value your relationship with God, it’s likely that you are taking good care of your body and your health.

How well are you taking care of yourself and your health?

If your relationship with God is important to you, and you’re not taking too good care of your body, could you use this post as an inspiration to better care for your body?

# 13 on the list is Wellness Coaching.  Coaches support our clients in making behavior changes for better health and wellness.

See this link for the entire listing.

How would working out spiritually or working out with God look? First Timothy 4:7-8 says “spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.” ( First Edition of the New Living Translation of the Bible) In the context of how this word is used here perhaps your consider this as a definition of spiritual exercise - “It’s any belief or intentional behavior that helps one become more like Jesus, draw closer to Him, know Him better or that follows the principles or commandments of God.”

Over the course of the next several weeks, I’ll be writing more on this topic. In the meantime, I have a few questions for you.

What types of ‘spiritual exercises’ are you including in your day to day activities to be spiritually fit?

What are you doing to work out your spiritual muscles?

Have a great week!

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God’s spirit, in the form of the Holy Spirit lives inside you.  Paul is urging us to live in a way that is honoring to God. We are called to be Holy as God is Holy.  The way we live our life is a form of worship to God.  As we attend to the health and well being of our body, this is a form of worship.

Anything that takes us aware from our relationship from God is a distraction or a defilement. Not only in our external behavior but in our thought life and “internal” life. What we read, watch on television and listen to on our Ipods and the radio has a potential impact on our relationship with God. It’s either a positive influence or a negative influence. It’s either building up your faith muscles or tearing them down. That’s why Paul urges us to ‘make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us.’ God wants us to be as fit as possible -physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Knowing that God lives in you can be a great motivator to live in a way that is holy and honoring to Him. How about it? Might you benefit from making a break from something that is a distraction in your relationship with God or that defiles His temple?

Want to learn more on Spiritual Exercises for a healthier life? Click here.

Hope you have an awesome day!

“The Gospel of Fitness is not a replacement for the traditional Gospel of the Newer Testament. Nor is it yet a formal theology. It has elements of both, however, for it is “good news” in a health-challenged society. And its rationale is based upon responsible disciplines of body-mind-spirit, respect for each other, and ecological stewardship.”

“For body- mind-spirit fitness is not about diet fads, exercise gimmicks, marathons, or beauty. Rather, it is about being the best that we can be.”

These quotes are taken from an article by G. Lloyd Rediger that appears in a column on his site. As it is not a short article, you may want to set aside time to read this when you can appreciate Rediger’s insight and wisdom.

Have an awesome day!

Colossians 2:20-23 says “Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”

Diets are about rules. God is about freedom, grace and love. When we try in our strength to follow a set of rules, as we do when we follow a stringent diet, we set ourselves up for failure. These diets might seem to be wise, these rules are “of this world” and contrary to the freedom that we have if we have accepted Jesus in our heart. When we try to follow a set of rules associated with a diet, we are attempting to do this out of our own strength. I believe God wants us to abandon these “rules” and to look to Him for wisdom and power and the ability to eat well and to live a healthy life.

If you’re dieting in a formal sense consider this – surrender the “diet” and go deeper inside to God asking Him to help you eat in a manner that will help you lose weight. Make sure you’re getting in some regular physical activity as well. And don’t forget to ask God in prayer that He empower you, through His Holy Spirit to make the changes you’re trying to make. Then give God the glory when you lose the weight!

Take care!

Dale