He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a];and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27 NIV
What Does Physical Strength Have to Do With Loving God?
Loving God with ALL your strength means staying strong in your faith and trusting God enough to turn everything over to Him. We cannot deny that often the first thing we think of when we think of strength is physical endurance. There is good reason for that. How strong we are physically has a direct correlation to how strong we can be mentally. When you aren’t at your best physically, it tends to overshadow everything else. You can’t concentrate the way you normally would due to the exhaustion, pain, or lack of energy. In such circumstances, it’s hard to fully serve God the way we would like to serve Him.
But Isn’t It Selfish to Focus on Being Fit? How Does That Serve Others?
True confessions time–I used to believe that I had so much to do as a mother that taking time to exercise or read health books wouldn’t be the best use of my time. The truth is, I have a husband and little mouths to feed. I want them to be healthy, so meal planning is a fantastic way to serve them!
When I exercise, I am setting the tone for the rest of the day. I need both the mental and energy boost that it offers to be the best wife and mommy I can be the rest of the day. Plus, my kids are copying everything I do. If they see me taking time for exercise, they often jump in and join me. It’s good for their bodies too! We may not do everything right, but we often end up in a heap of giggles and making memories.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV
Let’s be honest for a minute too. When we do these things and look our best, we like it and our husbands notice! I happen to be quite fond of my husband. I think he deserves a wife that makes him happy. I’m not saying that we have to be gorgeous or skinny to please our husbands, but if we really love him more than we love ourselves, we will want to give him our best! It may not be spiritual, but it’s an added perk. Or perhaps it IS spiritual. Gary Chapman’s book Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy
It’s Not Too Late!
Maybe you had a New Year resolution that you were going to lose weight or get in shape. It’s a few weeks in and and perhaps you have yet to have a successful day of sticking to your diet plan or exercise routine. That’s okay! God’s mercies are new every morning! We don’t have to start at New Year, Monday morning, or even at breakfast. We can start right this second. All you have to focus on is being the best you that you can be right this second. Click To Tweet If we focus on following God’s lead with all our strength, He will lead us step by step until we achieve the goal that He has set for us…and beyond!
A Practical Step
January’s Book Brigade book is Trim Healthy Mama Plan: The Easy-Does-It Approach to Vibrant Health and a Slim Waistline
Have you found any spiritual benefits to being physically strong? What is your plan for staying healthy and strong?
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/91364408@N05/8296290838″>Miami Fitness TV-62</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>(license)</a>
I think a strong body serves to help strengthen faith. It’s hard to be in the word when you feel terrible. You can’t focus!
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Good point!
God has sent me very different messages for where I am. In the past couple of years, I’ve hurt myself, strained something, and permanently disabled myself every time I try to exercise, so for me His message has very clearly been SIT DOWN. I’ve had to learn to love myself as I am, love God as I am, and learn to take a pound off a month, focus on eating healthier in moderation. But I think everyone is in different places in our journey. God wanted my heart strong and my faith powerful. He used my illnesses and injuries to build me up in those ways.
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Being physically strong helps to have a better mental foundation. When I feel in shape, I am better able to tackle my day, the difficulties that arise, and keep up with my children. So being active is critical to my overall well-being which affects all of my relationships, including my relationship with Jesus.
but there also has to be a balance between making sure we are in shape – and guarding ourselves not to be worshiping our bodies
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It’s good to be able to keep God as your center, even when working out. I love that you’re physically fit to serve God in any way possible.
So very true, but it’s hard to get over doing something for yourself when there is always something more to be done for others. You have to change how you look at it, like you said, you can serve others better when you’re at your highest potential!
I know I’m only strong because God wills me to be. I think of times I couldn’t have done it alone and I’m so thankful he’s in my life.
Leslie recently posted…Take The First Step
So true!
I am very thankful that God is always with me. He is the only one who makes me stronger.
Such excellent points. I know that when I take time to practice good self-care–including taking time to exercise and eat right–I feel better, and am able to better stay present for my wife and kiddos. It also makes the world just look and feel better.
Although, as a psychology professor and therapist, I know the importance of good self-care, it’s something that I need to get better at practicing myself. Thank you for the reminder of the importance of this. Wishing you an incredible week!
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Thanks for your input. I hope you have an incredible week too!
I need to work on being physically stronger. I’ve never thought about it this way before.
Terri Beavers recently posted…Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Her
I appreciated starting the week with this inspirational thought. Trust and love of the Divine are important to our happiness.
Carol Cassara recently posted…Vulgarity is not comedy
I love this, and it is so true. If we don’t take care of ourselves and keep ourselves happy, we can”t serve our family or God to the best of our abilities.
Thanks so much for linking up to Fitness Friday on Drops of Learning. I can’t wait to see what you will share tomorrow.
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