Hi, beauties!
Have you ever been in the midst of a situation and wondered, Why am I doing this? or Why should I do this?
We all come to a point in life where we have to rely on our “why.” But before you can rely on your why, you have to know it! This can be applied in situations such as following God’s will even when you don’t understand it. Or to be even more relatable, WAITING. Now that is hard!
When it comes to health + fitness, you may wonder if the Bible actually says anything about our physical being or state. It does, and I am definitely going to share, because in those times where you really want to quit, you need to be able to rely on a solid why.
One of the first things I want you to understand is God made you in His image. He made you perfect as you are, even if you don’t like certain things about yourself. You are enough, period. That said, there are things we can do to better serve God and the kingdom! We strive for financial stability in the natural world in part so we can support and give back to God. In the same sense, we should strive for physical stability so we can pour as much back into the kingdom.
The second thing I want you to understand is that our bodies are going to go through stages. Sicknesses — times where we have no energy. They are also going to change and respond to the rotation of the earth and the variable amounts of pressure it brings. The ever-changing seasons do things to our bodies (just like the seasons of life affect our spiritual bodies), but through all of this, we can make a lifestyle so that EVEN through the storms, we know we are going to always come back to the lifestyle.
In no way, shape, or form am I equating this to living for God, as nothing compares to that! But though we may fall or go through dry spells, our goal is heaven, and we will continually strive for that despite the adversity. This is what we should strive for in taking care of our earthen vessels: consistency with a purpose.
One of my favorite verses from the Bible supporting this topic is III John 1:2:
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
- If we look at the word beloved, we already know that this simple word means someone who is dearly loved. It’s one of my favorite terms of endearment in the Bible!
- The next little bit talks about how above all things, we are hoped to prosper and be in health! Prosper can mean many things, but the simplest breakdown is this: to succeed or flourish in material or physical things.
- The next part is my favorite part of the verse, and it quotes, “Even as thy soul prospereth.”
We all know we are supposed to continue to grow spiritually, yet in this verse, it states that it is wished that we are to grow and prosper in health and life EVEN as much as our souls prosper!
That is a huge statement! That being said, we should take advantage of these bodies that God has given us and use them to become powerhouses in both the natural + spiritual sense! There are so many other verses supporting the importance of physical health in the Bible, and I will definitely be sharing those later.
Your task for the next week is to write down your “why.” It could include things like: to gain confidence and to be more comfortable in my skin. To be fit for my kids. To be able to help out with cleaning days at the church. Though either way, part of your “why” should be because God wants you to prosper in health: so let’s do our part!
XO with so much love,
Leah