By Grant Tinsley, Ph.D.
Does God care about fitness?
In the big picture, does it matter if we exercise and eat well?
Aren’t our earthly bodies only temporary anyway?
If you’re like me, you may have pondered these questions and tried to reconcile a desire to honor God in everything with a desire to be physically fit. As Christians, our restored relationship with our Creator is continually transforming each area of our lives (Romans 12:2) as we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
Since we want every area of our life to praise God, it’s reasonable to question how our relationship with God affects the care of our physical body.
What Does the Bible Say?
Let’s dive into some truths from Scripture that can help us gain a Biblical view of fitness and our bodies.
The Bible teaches that God created us in His own image (Genesis 1:26-28) and that we are wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-18). Our souls will remain even after our physical bodies die (John 11:25-26), and each Christian’s “lowly body” will be transformed “to be like His glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21).
We possess nothing that wasn’t given to us (John 3:27), and each good gift we have is given to us by God (James 1:17). Although we are sinful, and no part of us will be perfect during this life, our bodies are still a good gift. They enable us to work, serve other people, and see, taste, smell, touch, and hear God’s creation (Psalm 34:8). God created the physical world, and our bodies allow us to perceive the things He has made – the world itself tells us about the nature of God (Romans 1:20).
As Christians, we are called to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and God certainly deserves thanks for our bodies – He created them and sustains them.
In the Bible, it is clear that God cares deeply about every part of us (Matthew 10:29-31). This care includes what we do with our bodies. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul pleads with his brothers and sisters in Christ:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Physical Training is of Some Value, But…
There are two verses that are commonly mentioned in discussions about faith and fitness.
The first, 1 Timothy 4:8, is a great reminder:
“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.”
While this verse says that physical exercise is of some value, spiritual exercise is more valuable. Jesus commanded us to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33), and I believe this command applies to all aspects of our life. No pursuit should be made an idol. We shouldn’t love anything, including our bodies and physical fitness, more than we love God.
Our driving passion in life should be deepening our relationship with God and serving Him, not being the absolute fittest group of people on earth. Physical health and fitness, although they can be very good, should not be our first priority.
Another passage that seems to frequently enter the discussion among fitness-minded Christians is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
In my opinion, this verse is often wrongly associated with the idea of “let’s make our bodies as fit and beautiful as possible so God has a nice place to stay.” God is the Creator of the heavens and earth, in all their complexity and beauty. He isn’t dependent on us getting in shape in order for Him to have somewhere attractive to reside.
The context of these verses is a discussion of sexual immorality, which contains Paul’s exhortation, “Flee sexual immorality.”
These verses do clearly state that our bodies are not ultimately ours, but God’s. The command to “glorify God in your body” is a great reminder to keep God first in all areas of our life. God created, and cares about, our physical bodies.
So what does it mean to glorify God in our bodies? I believe that this would include abstaining from habitual practices that are known to damage the body God has given us and show disrespect to the ultimate owner of our bodies.
These damaging practices could include sexual immorality, substance abuse, smoking and other destructive behaviors. Laziness and gluttony could certainly be part of this list. The picture of laziness leading to a rundown vineyard in Proverbs 24:30-34 parallels what can happen to our bodies if we are lazy and neglect them:
“I passed by the field of a sluggard,
by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,
and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;
the ground was covered with nettles,
and its stone wall was broken down.
Then I saw and considered it;
I looked and received instruction.
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.”
It is poor stewardship to completely disregard the health of our physical bodies. In contrast to the “I want to make my body beautiful” interpretation, this idea of stewardship centers on taking good care of what God has entrusted to us as a temporary gift.
As mentioned earlier, we are called to offer our bodies as “a living sacrifice,” meaning that we seek to honor God through the physical body He has given us. The argument of “I can do whatever I want – it’s my body” doesn’t hold up in Christianity.
A Little More on Stewardship
Matthew 25:14-29 records a parable spoken by Jesus. It is a wonderful example of how we are ultimately stewards, not owners, of what God has given us. While the story uses money as the example, I believe that we are equally responsible for using our other resources for God – our abilities, time, and bodies.
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
It is also important to remember that, despite our best intentions, God may have a plan for our lives that doesn’t include good health. Even if you are seeking to honor God and taking care of the body He has given you, it is possible He wants to use you through the difficult circumstances of disease and sickness. We are called to respond in joy to all of life’s circumstances (James 1:2-3), which are ultimately controlled by God. Proverbs 19:21 says:
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
Do Good to Everyone
One of the reasons I am passionate about helping others in the area of physical fitness is because of the following appeal, found in Galatians 6:10:
“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
God has given me an interest in the area of physical fitness and has blessed me with the opportunity to pursue this interest via my education and career. I want to use that passion and training to help others. This gives me the chance to encourage my brothers and sisters to seek God first in everything, while still helping them in the realms of physical fitness and health.
In the end, it’s always important to remember the truth of James 4:14:
“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
Our lives are short, and we should be seeking to serve God now, with all the resources He has given us. We are not promised to be on this earth tomorrow.
Summary
- We are created in God’s image, wonderfully made, and our bodies ultimately belong to God.
- We should be thankful to God for all His gifts, including our physical bodies.
- We shouldn’t love anything more, or pursue anything more passionately, than our relationship with God. Physical exercise profits some, but spiritual exercise profits more.
- We are ultimately caretakers or stewards of what God has given us, not the true owners. Therefore, we should seek to glorify God with all our resources, including our bodies.
- We can show love to our fellow Christians (and mankind in general) by “doing good” to them. This can include the areas of health and fitness.