What The Bible Says About Exercise

April 1, 2012 by 1 Comment

Healthy Living

 

Since it’s now a few months past our new years resolution and many people included getting healthy/ losing weight in their resolutions, I thought I’d chime in with some of my thoughts today on exercise!

 

There is only one time that physical exercise is mentioned in the Bible and it is in I Timothy 4:8 – which reads “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

 

The Bible affirms that “physical training is of some value“. What does this mean for you personally? Could you have any ailments that you think physical exercise could help? Studies show that exercise gives us physical and mental energy, it makes our muscles and bones stronger, reduces fatigue, depression, and anxiety, helps us sleep better, fights heart disease, and generally gives you a longer, healthier life. “Physical training is of some value.”

 

Is exercise important to you? Do you exercise for vain reasons? At one time I can tell you that vanity was attached to my exercise. But now that I’ve had a baby and my body has changed (more than I would care to admit) it is less about vanity and more about being healthy.

 

I won’t list my ailments for you – but I do suffer from hypersomnia which I take medication for and also neck pain due to an old injury. My neck pain literally melts away with regular workouts and sleep. As soon as I stop exercising or sleeping well it returns back in full force. “Physical training has some value” and without it I suffer and my entire family suffers.

 

I value my exercise time so I have to make it a priority and somehow squeeze it into my routine.  When do I do it?  I have my quiet times in the morning so that free time is taken! Then my busy day begins and is packed full with my family and responsibilities. For me the best time (and the worst time) is at the end of my exhausted day!  Most often at this time of day all I want to do is snuggle up on the couch in my pj’s and hubby, turn on the television and grab my computer – but instead I have disciplined myself to spend 30 minutes, 3-4 times a week exercising.  It’s rare but some days I’ll exercise in the middle of the day.  If I can fit this in during the day it leaves my entire evening free to spend with my family and it gives me more energy to go about my daily activities.

 

When I fall off the bandwagon, there’s no motivator like a sharp pain the neck to remind me that I need to exercise!

 

So I want to encourage you that if you suffer from fatigue, low energy, and aches and pains, and you think – “but there’s just not enough time” – you must make exercise a priority – it has some value! It is not a waste of time – it is an investment into your life– your quality of life. Pray and ask God to help you.  Get moving at least 15 minutes three times a week.  And then live your life passionately for God – with energy!

 

Disclaimer: While exercise can do wonders for your mood I’m not suggesting that serious depression should be ignored or only treated with exercise.  If you believe that you are suffering from depression please see your doctor for PCH treatment or another form of care to treat your depression.
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Peace

March 6, 2012 by 3 Comments

Clouds

 

Today I’m pleased to share with you a guest post from one of my very dear friends, Jessica.  I trust this will be a blessing to you as it was to me.

 

Peace. What a lovely word. Take a deeeeeeep breath and just sit there for a moment and imagine what it would feel like to have complete and total peace…not to be in a rush…not to have regrets…to just sit there, and be…. and to be at rest, both physically, and deep in your soul.

 

I don’t know about you, but much to my shame, my life is not usually categorized by that word. This year, I decided to take a challenge given by Ashley on EmbracingBeauty.com, and come up with a theme word for 2012. My theme word is peace. While it’s still early on in my journey, I’d like to share a small portion of what God has been showing me.

 

I used to believe that if only I could get caught up on all the housework, and learn to play the piano, and organize all my pictures, and lose weight, and start extreme couponing , and memorize 1000 bible verses, and…and…and…(you fill in the rest of the blanks) and basically all life’s circumstances would cooperate with me and go the way they are SUPPOSED to, I would be at peace. Maybe you’ve thought the same thing. As I’m sure you’ve found out, life just doesn’t work that way. Unexpected company arrives, and always on that day that you’re way behind on housework and decided not to take off your pjs until noon. A slow moving utility truck pulls out in front of you, and of course it’s when you’re running really, really late. A neighbor’s dog gets in the trash and it ends up from one end of your yard to the other…and inevitably when it’s pouring the rain. So should we just forfeit the hope of peace altogether? How can a girl have peace when things don’t go her way?

 

There is a verse that flashes in my mind multiple times a day that answers this question very simply: Isaiah 26:3. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.”

 

Wow.

 

Not, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose house is sparkling clean.” Or “…whose children obey without whining.” or “…who’s got it all together.” No, instead the verse says God will keep me in perfect peace, if I keep my mind on Him because I trust in Him.

 

Too often I get caught up in worrying about things that won’t matter at all after today, let alone in eternity. I’ve discovered that if my perspective on life’s interruptions has God at the center, then company seeing a pile of dirty clothes or crumbs on the counter doesn’t really matter so much.  Perspective makes all the difference.

 

Today, I challenge you to pay attention to your “peace level.” How do you react when things don’t go your way? Are you constantly uptight? Do your husband and children dread being around you after a long day? Do you believe that if you could just “get it together,” you’d be able to have peace?  If so, remember that life will never be predictable. Never. So basing your peace on circumstances will end in a lot of unnecessary stress and frustration.

 

Instead of falling apart when the unexpected happens, look at those interruptions as from the Lord. Instead of focusing on the fact that you look terrible or your house is a mess when that unexpected company shows up, change your focus to what their needs might be. Maybe the Lord sent them to you today so you could encourage them or even witness to them. Use those extra minutes behind that slow truck to praise the Lord that you have a vehicle to drive and the ability to drive it, and maybe even say a prayer for the driver of the truck in front of you. Make a game of picking up the trash with your kids in the rain, then go puddle-jumping with them. Life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% what we make of it. Make a choice today to cast all of your cares on the Lord, “…for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7b).

 

This quote does a good job at summarizing what a woman of peace looks like:

 

“A woman of true beauty is a woman who in the depths of her soul is at rest, trusting God because she has come to know him to be worthy of her trust. She exudes a sense of calm, a sense of rest, and invites those around her to rest as well. She speaks comfort; she knows that we live a world at war, that we have a vicious enemy, and our journey is through a broken world. But she also knows that because of God all is well, that all will be well…In her presence, we can release the tension and pressure that so often grip our hearts…” from Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge

 

Lord, starting today, teach me to be this kind of woman.

 

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Hope in Christ

February 20, 2012 by 2 Comments

candle

Hope.   Do you have it?

 

Satan seemed victorious in the Garden of Eden and then again when Jesus died on the cross.   Thankfully, things aren’t always as they seem.  God had a much greater plan.

 

His plan was Jesus.  The Son of God who, with a loving heart for you and me, died a brutal death as a sacrifice to pay for our sins.  He then proceeded to conquer death when He arose three days later and ascended into Heaven.

 

Satan was defeated.  Because of the love of Christ, we now have hope beyond the grave.  We no longer need to fear death.  We can choose to have eternal life in Heaven.

 

Hope.  Do you have it?

 

Think of Paul, a man who was a great Christian example for us to follow.  His goal was to know Christ, to be more like Christ, and to make Christ known.  It was this goal that consumed all of his energy.

 

We should have the same desire to know Christ, to follow Him, and to make Him known.

 

  • With our hope in Christ, we can look away from past guilt and failures knowing we have been forgiven.
  • With our hope in Christ, we can set our focus to become effective in our work for God.
  • With our hope in Christ, we can look forward to Christ’s return.

Hope.  Do you have it?

 

There is a wonderful reward that lies ahead.  But like an athlete, we need to train hard and run well on our journey through this life.

 

Friends, there is a beautiful reason to hope.

 

In our great darkness, God promised to send a light to shine on the world.  It is the light of Jesus Christ.

 

“For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given…”

– Isaiah 9:6

 

There is hope in Christ.

Dear friend, if you are unsure where you will go when you die, take a few minutes to read over these truths about man and God:

  • God designed and created the universe and all that is within it, and it is by His power that everything holds together. Colossians 1:16-17
  • God is perfect in all areas and completely without sin. Psalm 96:9
  • God designed mankind in His own image to reflect His glory. Genesis 1:27
  • Mankind chose to disobey their Creator and by doing so brought sin’s curse upon the earth and eternally separated them from the One who created them. Genesis 3,Romans 5:12-13
  • Because of sin’s curse, and my sin, I am born separated from God and deserving of His everlasting punishment. Romans 2:12, Romans 3:10-12, Romans 6:23
  • God’s Son Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross to pay sin’s penalty, and rose again on the third day defeating sin and death. Romans 5:6-10, I Corinthians 15:3-4
  • By turning to Christ from our sin and trusting in His work on the cross alone to save us from our sin, God imparts Christ’s righteousness on our behalf and we are freely given eternal life with Him. He gives us the power to enjoy fellowship with Him and live a life that is pleasing to Him. Romans 5:1-2, Romans 3:23-24, John 3:16-17

If you have questions about God or salvation, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me.  I would love to discuss this life changing truth with you!

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