Sanctifying Sweat: A Faithful Approach to Fitness and Healthy Living

From a young age, I can remember turning on the TV to see the next best weight loss tool or supplement being promoted. I can remember seeing all the girls on the shows with the perfect bodies and wanting to look like them. Yet growing up in the church, I can't recall a single sermon talking about fitness with faith. It was looked down upon if you were too big and didn't take care of your body, but it was, also, looked down upon if you were confident in your body and showed it off. There was never an in-between. A couple of weeks ago, I was asked if I would write about how to honor God throughout your fitness journey while not idolizing yourself in the process. Fear crept inside me as I thought "I'm the least qualified person to speak on this." Since then, the Lord has been stirring something in my heart.

This is such a difficult question to unpack. First, when trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it's vital we analyze our motivations in doing so. If we start working out so that we look good, that is where the idolizing begins. However, if we switch our motivation to that of Romans 12:1, we can honor God through our fitness. The verse reads, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship." The Bible tells us that our bodies should be a temple unto the Lord. In this, we are called to take care of our bodies, not for ourselves, but for God. It's a common misconception that going to the gym is an act of self-glorification. However, it doesn't have to be. It's all about the posture of your heart.

2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us to, "Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ." When we get too wrapped up in our fitness, our thoughts become prideful. When we neglect to take care of our bodies, our thoughts often become insecure. So, where's the balance? It all comes in motivation. If your motivation when going to the gym is to become stronger so you can serve the Lord better, then your fitness is an act of worship before God. To put it this way, if your fitness is self-centered, it can never be worship-centered.

Elizabeth Elliot says, "We can't give our hearts to God and keep our bodies to ourselves." She is absolutely right. You never hear anyone talk about the power of bringing God into your fitness. When we bring our physical body and spiritual self together in our fitness journey, we can ensure that God remains the center and the motivation of it. This will result in peace and strength unimagined. Let me put it this way: God is the best gym partner you will ever find. His Word and His unconditional love and grace motivate us, strengthen us, and sustain us. No diet or gym partner will ever give you that. In addition, when you have the Holy Spirit indwelling in you, you no longer have to do fitness and healthy living alone or with your own ability. You are given the authority to silence the voice in your head that tells you that you're not good enough or strong enough. You can learn to love yourself the way God made you and your body.

This world tells us that dieting culture and weight loss are what will fill the hole in your heart. While you may start to feel good at the beginning, you will always be left unsatisfied. The number on that scale will never be low enough, your stomach will never be flat enough, your muscles will never be big enough, and the list goes on and on. Ultimately, trying to fill your brokenness with anything BUT God is like pouring water into a cracked cup. You will never be full. We all have a God-sized hole in our hearts that is only meant for Him to fill. Yet, for many of us, fitness has left an unsatisfied, obsessive hole in us. In your journey with fitness, allow God to fill you with peace and confidence about your body, ask for the right motivation about your fitness, wisdom on what to eat and how to honor Him with your body, and self-control to become the best you can be for Him.

If you struggle with food, whether that's eating too much, too little, or just the wrong kinds of food, you are not alone. So many of us are fighting silent battles in our relationship with food because of the culture we live in. Diet culture tells us we must earn our food through exercise, or we need to burn all the calories we consume in a day. The Bible, however, tells us we are meant to be nourished and filled. After all, God gave us the sense of thirst, so we would know when we need water. He gave us the feeling of tiredness so we would know when to rest. Just the same, He gave us hunger so that we would know when our bodies need fuel. If you are someone fighting your hunger today, surrender that before God. Instead, try to thank Him for hunger and the way He designed your body. I want to encourage you right now that God has the power to break the hold of dieting, heal body dysmorphia, and help His children become healthy by His design and ordinance. A relationship with food and fitness rooted in Christ Jesus is worth praying for. Let this be your prayer, "God help me to choose the food you have made instead of the food the world has made."

Jesus loves you no matter what you weigh. That's not to say we shouldn't take care of our bodies, but if we put our faith in food, exercise, or a number on the scale we play right into the plan of destruction the enemy has for us. Just because you ate something "bad" doesn't somehow make you bad. Food is only food, while God is always God. Don't let food or exercise take the place of God in your life by letting it redefine your identity on either end of the spectrum. There is no biblical support for the "thin beauty" ideal. Today's culture claims that your worth is a result of your appearance. The Bible actually doesn't value appearance at all. 1 Samuel 16:7 reads, "For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." You do not receive treasures in heaven for achieving a particular weight.

Have you ever thought about if Jesus was in “good shape” while He walked the earth? I believe He was, but not so He could look good to all the people He spoke in front of. No one really talks about the healthy lifestyle Jesus exhibited during His time on earth. He was a builder, He walked everywhere, He ate whole and homemade food, He took time to rest, He valued the health of others, and He remained in control of His mind and His body. He was able to carry a heavy cross on His back uphill for a portion of the way after being severely beaten. Jesus used His body to save the world and conquer sin. His body was presented to God as a sacrifice for us. We know that good disciples examine their teacher, and this is an aspect of His life we can appreciate and imitate. I'm willing to bet Jesus took good care of the body given to Him during His time on earth. I bet He ate the food He, himself, made for mankind to eat. I am confident that Jesus took care of His body physically, but yet never considered food as a reasonable option for dealing with emotions He carried with Him throughout His ministry. He took everything to the Father, just as we are called to. Following Jesus includes proper care and respect for the temple of God. Wherever you are in your fitness journey and healthy living, do it all for the glory of God by taking everything to His feet.

Freedom from toxic diet culture or self-centered fitness will cost you your pride, but you will gain everything in return because you will find peace with your body when your worth comes from God. So, spend time in prayer that God will help you to have the right motivation for your fitness journey and healthy lifestyle. Pray that He would remind you that your body is His temple and give you the strength and self-control needed to treat it that way. After all, a person whose confidence is rooted in Christ has a beauty the world can never touch.

May your roots run deep, and your faith remain strong! As always, Stay Rooted, my friends! <3