By Karen O’Connor:
While getting physically fit, you can exercise your faith and draw closer to God.
Image courtesy of Ambro (FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
According to reporter Elizabeth Holmes of The Wall Street Journal in Don’t Hate Her For Being Fit, more moms are squeezing in time to run, work out, take Pilates classes, and still keep the home fires burning and the kids chauffeured to and from their destinations.
“To some,” claims the author, “a fit mom’s regimen may seem self-indulgent. These women, though, see their workouts as a guilt-free stress release. They don’t feel badly about taking time to work out because they are setting a healthy example for their children.”
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.(1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV Bible)
The gals I encounter at the gym I belong to agree they feel more energetic, more engaged in life, and more spiritually fit when they take care of their bodies. Instead of stress and fatigue, they experience a sense of well being they’ve not felt before. In fact, several of us go out for breakfast once a month to celebrate the birthdays for that month. We range in age from mid-forties to mid-eighties.
If you’re just starting a physical routine, take it easy and work your way up, and along the way consider how much more you’ll receive both physically and spiritually when you find God while getting fit.
3 Ways to Exercise Your Faith while Getting Physically Fit
Here are some ways to integrate your spiritual life into your fitness routines:
- Listen to praise music as you exercise, alone or with others.
- Pray for others during repetitious exercise–running, swimming laps, etc. (You can choose a different person to pray for per lap!)
- Pray about your fitness goals and for time, energy and motivation to complete them. Remember Philippians 4:13 (NKJV): I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Take a look at this YouTube video, “Faithful Workouts” to inspire you to get started now.
Also check out the fitness blog by Braxton A. Cosby (nephew of Bill Cosby), who is a physical therapist. He’s on Twitter as @CosbyKid84 For more information about Braxton, see his biography at braxtonacosbygodson.com.
©Karen O’Connor. Karen is an author, writing mentor, and frequent contributor to the Finding God Daily blog. Visit Karen on the web at www.karenoconnor.com, on FB http://www.facebook.com/karen.p.oconnor or follow on Twitter @karenoconnor
