Your Body Was Made to Move - Stop Treating Physical Neglect Like It Doesn't Matter
Exercise Will Not Make You More Spiritual; Stewardship Should Make You Ask Whether You Are Caring for the Body Through Which You Serve God
We have established that your body belongs to God.
We have confronted whether your appetite has become your master.
Now there is another uncomfortable question:
ARE YOU ACTUALLY USING THE BODY GOD GAVE YOU?
We live in a world where many of us can spend enormous portions of our day sitting.
We sit while working.
We sit while traveling.
We sit while watching television.
We sit while scrolling.
We sit while being entertained.
Then we wonder why intentionally moving our bodies feels increasingly difficult.
Scripture does not command Christians to become bodybuilders, marathon runners, or fitness fanatics.
It does, however, acknowledge something we sometimes minimize:
1 Timothy 4:8 (AMPC) “For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come.”
Don't misread Paul.
He is establishing the greater value of godliness.
He is not saying physical training has no value.
SCRIPTURE SAYS IT HAS VALUE
Spiritual fitness has eternal significance.
Physical fitness is temporary.
Yet temporary does not mean worthless.
Your money is temporary.
Your house is temporary.
Your possessions are temporary.
Your earthly opportunities are temporary.
And your mortal body is temporary.
WE ARE STILL CALLED TO STEWARD WHAT GOD ENTRUSTS TO US WHILE IT IS IN OUR HANDS.
Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 9:27 (AMPC) “But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].”
Paul's primary point here is spiritual discipline, not a modern exercise program.
Still, notice the principle; MY BODY DOES NOT GET TO DICTATE EVERYTHING I DO.
Sometimes your body says, “I don't feel like it.”
Discipline says, “We're doing what is wise anyway.”
You don't have to run five miles.
You don't have to lift enormous weights.
You don't have to look like someone on the cover of a fitness magazine.
Depending on your health, age, mobility, medical circumstances, and the guidance appropriate for you, physical activity might mean walking, stretching, swimming, strength work, rehabilitation exercises, chair exercises, or simply moving more than you presently do.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT APPEARANCE.
It is about stewardship.
And some of us need to stop comparing what we cannot do with what someone else can do.
God is not asking you to steward someone else's body.
STEWARD YOURS
If physical limitations mean you can only do a little, faithfully do what you reasonably can.
If a healthcare professional has given you restrictions, honor them.
If you need professional guidance before beginning physical activity, seek it.
If your body is giving you warning signs, don't ignore them merely to prove how “disciplined” you are.
Responsible stewardship includes knowing when to move and knowing when to seek appropriate care.
And once again:
GOD KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT YOU CANNOT DO AND WHAT YOU SIMPLY REFUSE TO DO.
That distinction matters.
This teaching is not aimed at condemning someone whose body will not permit certain activities.
It is aimed directly at those of us who can do something and continually choose to do nothing.
1 Corinthians 6:20 (AMPC) “You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.”
Your body does not need to be perfect to glorify God.
It does not need to be young.
It does not need to be muscular.
It does not need to meet somebody else's definition of attractive.
IT NEEDS TO BE FAITHFULLY STEWARDED.
So maybe the question isn't, “Do I exercise enough?”
Maybe the deeper question is, “AM I DOING WHAT I REASONABLY CAN TO CARE FOR THE PHYSICAL BODY GOD HAS ENTRUSTED TO ME?”
If the answer is no, don't hide behind tomorrow.
Start where you are.
Start with what you can do.
Start within the physical and medical realities you actually have.
And then - MOVE
Not because your body is your god.
MOVE BECAUSE YOUR BODY BELONGS TO GOD.
Question For Today
Since God has given you the ability to do something today that could help strengthen and care for the body He entrusted to you, what exactly are you waiting for?
And are you calling it “I can't,” when the truth is really “I won't”?
If You Have Ears To Hear, Then Hear It!
I pray for you each and every day.
All God's Best!
Karl McKinnie
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