Fit For Something More!

Since my retirement from pastoring, I’ve been working as a personal trainer at a local gym, The Fort Athletic Club, as well as through my own business, Second Wind Personal Training. I’m passionate about fitness and health both for myself and for others. That’s why I entered this field as a second career. It’s my hope that I might be able to help others gain the fitness and health they need to enjoy life and live the kind of life God intends for them to live. After all, an unfit and unhealthy body ends up as a body filled with limitations. A fit body is able to move and do and enjoy every aspect of life. 

However, I’m also keenly aware that we as people are more than our bodies. God created us as holistic beings: body, mind, soul, and spirit. He designed us to be multi-faceted, not merely one dimensional bodies. That requires that we not only take care of our bodies, but as well care for our whole selves—i.e., our minds, our souls, and our spirits. 

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”  (1 Timothy 4:8 – NLT) 

It’s true, what we do to keep our physical bodies is beneficial and ought not be underrated; our physical training helps us to live our lives on this earth to the fullest. However, these bodies, no matter how healthy, will one day pass—i.e., even the healthiest people die and move on into eternity. Thus, we must always keep in mind that there is a life after this life for which we must be, we might say, fit and healthy.  That requires training our spiritual selves as diligently as we train our bodies. 

How do we do that? How do we train our spiritual selves? (1) Build a life that is based on faith in God; (2) Pray regularly; (3) Read the Bible; (4) Discipline your mind to think what would be pleasing to God; (5) Discipline your body to live the way God would have you live—i.e., according to his standards for your life (that’s what the word, “godliness” is all about). 

I do believe with my whole heart, God wants us to keep our bodies fit and healthy. After all, they are a gift from him. But he even more so wants us to be spiritually fit. We might say, he wants us to be fit for something more—i.e., an eternity to be spent with him. 

So today, go for a walk or run, get into the gym, eat the right foods, and…read your Bible, pray, do the right thing, and take some steps of faith. Let’s be fit for something more! 

Have a great day!

- Pastor Tim Harris