Jan/Feb 2011

Living a Fit Life

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training…Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.” – 1 Corinthians 9:25-26 (NIV)

“We must care for our bodies as though we were going to live forever, but we must care for our souls as if we were going to die tomorrow.” – St. Augustine

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Last month I had a conversation with FCA President Les Steckel, who posed the following hypothetical situation.

“Jimmy,” he said, “what if I handed you the keys to a brand new car when you turned 16? How would you feel? And what if I then told you that it was the only car you would ever own and that it would have to last your entire life? Would that change the way you treated it? I bet it would. I believe it would radically change the way you took care of that car.”

It was a perfect analogy for physical wellness and how we care for our bodies. God gave us each one body to use in accomplishing His mission for us. Therefore, we need to keep it in good condition because, when it wears out, that’s it.

According to Scripture, we’re made in God’s image, and He’s asked us to be good stewards of all that He entrusted to our care. In Romans 12, He even asks us to present our bodies as “living sacrifices” to Him, meaning that we are to follow His plan for physical wellness, not our own. If we are faithful to that plan, we are more likely to have abundant energy, mental clarity, and an improved outlook on life.

Why is it then that with all of our good intentions and annual resolutions we fail over and over again? Don’t we realize that prevention is cheaper and less traumatic than repair? The amount of time and focus we lose when we wreck our health is a price none of us wants to pay.

If we truly believe that we should take care of our physical health and that we are better in every area of life when we are energized, healthy and strong, then let’s keep it simple and get it done.

 1. FLUSH, Don’t FEAST.
Physical wellness requires us to “flush” (throw away) toxic material, which includes anything containing poisonous material capable of causing sickness or death. With respect to physical wellness, this most naturally refers to what we eat. Five good examples include fried foods, soda, breakfast pastries, sugary sweets and salty snacks. If you eat these once a month, it’s probably not a big deal, but most Americans eat them every day!

2. LIVE, Don’t DIE.
When pursuing physical wellness, we must choose “living things.” These include items that are inherently designed to bring life. Again, let’s take a look at foods. God created vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains and a host of other natural foods for our long-term health. They bring energy, immunity, healing, growth and life. As a general rule, 80 percent of our diet should consist of living foods. The other 20 percent can be “dead foods,” such as lean meats or fish, and one or two processed items.

3. TRAIN, Don’t TRY.
Physical wellness includes a concerted training plan. Training is defined as any consistent, disciplined, sustained effort designed to test us and bring progressive improvement. Trying, on the other hand, is inconsistent and lacks a clear target.

In order to be well, we must start training—-intentionally moving with a purpose. This should include regular activity that pushes us toward better endurance, energy, strength and physical capacity. Find daily activities that get your heart rate up, make you break a sweat and stress your muscular system. Even 15 to 30 minutes a day of cardio exercise and strengthening exercises will get you started and keep you on track.