Is Wanting to Get Fit a Selfish Goal?

Perhaps you, like me, have fallen into this trap.  You want to get fit, but you know it takes time.  It takes time to exercise, to meal plan, and to cook more.  Lots of time!  We could be talking about two or three hours a day.  Taking time away from your family is bad, so getting fit must be selfish, right?  Should you spend all this time, energy, and money just to look better and maybe feel a little better too?  Is wanting to get fit a selfish goal?

This is a crucial question to tackle because we don’t want our efforts to be thwarted before they even begin.  I’m not really a “demon behind every rock” kind of girl, but I do firmly believe that Satan is out to sabotage your efforts.  He doesn’t want you to be happy with yourself. If he can’t make you bad, he can make you doubt your convictions.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 ESV

It may be the Holy Spirit himself nudging you to make a healthy difference in your life.  Perhaps you have heard the saying, “God loves you too much to leave you the way you are.”  That’s true.  God came to give us abundant life!  The very convictions Satan wants you to doubt could be straight from God.  Don’t doubt God when He is whispering to your heart.  

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.” 1 Kings 19:11-12 ESV

Why would God want you to get healthy?  Where is the spirituality in that? There are many reasons God may want you to get healthy.  Here are just a few…

For Your Family

Getting fit is actually a gift to your family.  When I worked hard to get back in shape a couple years ago, I was amazed at how much more energy I had to play with my kids. I was actually enjoying them more.  I’m sure sure that they were enjoying me a lot more too.  I wasn’t exhausted on the couch, asking them to bring me things.  I had the stamina to get up and take care of business myself.   When I was on track with myself, I was also modeling discipline and self-denial to my children.  I was showing them how to care for their own bodies, God’s little temples.  

For a Purpose  

Living out our faith and stepping away from societal norms takes courage and action.  It’s hard to have courage and believe that you can do anything through God’s strength when you cringe every time you look in the mirror.  You also need energy to live out your purpose.  When you are the healthiest version of yourself physically, it is easier to become a healthier version of yourself spiritually too.

To Worship the King and Learn to Rely on Him

The very act of committing your body to God and choosing what is right for your temple can be an act of worship. God can use your determination and commitment to teach you to stand strong when facing temptation.  It is a great time to learn to lean on God and trust in Him alone to satisfy us.  We say God alone is all we need, but is that how we are living our lives when we stuff food in our face every time we get emotional?  Worship the Lord in a new way, committing your very being to Him and acting on it in a very real and tangible way.  

It Is Time for Change!

We sabotage our best efforts by convincing ourselves that wanting to get fit is a selfish goal.  Don’t listen to the Devil.  The truth is that nothing could be farther from the truth.  You need to do it for yourself, but you can see that there are lots of other reasons.  God, the creator of the universe and the creator of you, may be behind your desire.  Don’t ignore Him!  You are not being selfish.  

Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19 ESV

Let’s get candid for a minute.  If you, like me, feel that God wants you to get fit, yet you continue to ignore the nudging of the Holy Spirit, you are actually disobeying God. ( I am saying this for myself too!)  When I feel that God wants health for my body, yet I shove a cookie in my mouth, I am actually disobeying God.  That puts an entirely different spin on it rather than just thinking it’s going to take me longer to get into a certain pair of jeans. I can laugh off a tight pair of pants, but God’s will is nothing to laugh at.

It is possible that I will actually disobey God long enough, the Spirit will be quenched, and I be brainwashed into thinking that it is okay for me to just stay the way I am, unhealthy and all.  Please don’t think that I believe cookies are sinful.  For some they aren’t.  But at this exact point in my life, I believe that, for me personally, they are.  I can’t tell you what God is telling you in respects to your health or how to accomplish your goals.  But I can tell you that God loves you and He wants his best for you.  If you take time to pursue what God has laid on your heart, even if it’s health for your own body, you are not being selfish.  Don’t believe that lie any longer.

Need More Inspiration?

If you are looking for more inspiration, check out 4 Healthy Meal Planning Sanity Savers and 5 Reasons Healthy Families Cook Together.  Your family is worth it!

Have your efforts to get fit every been sabotaged by self doubt?  Do you see how being healthy can have a positive impact on others and your spiritual life?