Exercise? For God's Glory

Nowhere in the Bible will you find a scripture that says, “You must exercise three times a week.                            

 

But we do read in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Every minute of our lives is to be lived for the glory of God, and exercise is a wonderful means of helping us live for the glory of God. How? By extending our years of service to God, and by making us more effective in serving the Lord.

 

Proverbs 20:29 states, “The glory of young men is their strength.” Therefore, strength training—also known as toning and weight lifting—is also a very good exercise. Through moderate toning, you gain muscle definition and increased bone mass, which helps to prevent diseases such as osteoporosis.

 

 

Exercise Extends Our Years of Serving GodHave you ever considered that exercise could be the difference between serving God for 60 years or serving God for 75 years? Think about this for a moment. Maintaining a healthy body could result in God giving you many additional years to care for your spouse. Staying in good shape could result in God allowing you to share the gospel with hundreds of additional people. Those endless miles on the treadmill could result in many additional years of faithfully serving your brothers and sisters in Christ. Yes, I understand that God has numbered our days. In his sovereignty, God knows exactly how many days we will live upon this earth. But God uses means, and exercise is a means of adding years of fruitful labor to our lives.

 

Exercise Makes Us More Effective In Serving The LordNot only does exercise extend our years of serving the Lord, it also makes us more effective in serving the Lord. The truth is, an unhealthy body can limit our capacity to serve the Lord. Being unhealthy leads to less energy and less stamina, which ultimately limits our service for the Lord. Those who exercise regularly and are in good health are able to serve the Lord and others consistently, and for longer periods of time.

 

These truths should dramatically affect our approach to exercise! We don’t ultimately exercise for the purpose of losing weight or so that we look good. We exercise for the glory of God. We lace up our running shoes and pound the pavement so that we can serve God effectively for years to come. We lift weights so that at age 65 we can share the gospel with our young people like grandchildren. We go to the gym so that we can lovingly care for our spouse for many years.So let me encourage you to exercise. Not because it’s a good thing to do, but because God’s glory is at stake. Think of the future as you go out and walk today or do counter pushups or lift some weights.

For His Glory ... might make a difference!!!