"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

--  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

THE SPIRITUAL CONNECTION

 

    Could there be any more clearly a reason to maintain a healthy physical body?  God demonstrated the importance of a physical body when he sent Jesus to Earth born of woman and resembling fleshly man (" . . . being in very nature God." - Philippians 2:5).  God himself was unable to enter this Earth as only a spirit, so He used flesh man as the vehicle by which His spirit would walk the Earth.  Jesus was sent to earth to do the work of His Father who was in Heaven.  Jesus' Earth walk was exemplary to us.  He walked in peace, wholeness, confidence, and health and he taught others how to walk in peace, wholeness, confidence, and health.  Now that Jesus has completed his assignment as man on Earth and has been elevated to the right side of God on His throne, he has commissioned us to do greater works than he did (John 14:12).

    But how can we be even more effective than Jesus in teaching others to walk in peace, wholeness, confidence, and health if we ourselves are lacking the energy and enthusiasm to exemplify this salvation.  2 Timothy 4:1-2 exhorts us to be ready at all times to preach the gospel.  Should we not also be ready to GO wherever and whenever we need to go in order to preach the gospel?  If we are always exhausted and sluggish, we put ourselves at risk to delay or even stifle the flow of the anointing.  When God says 'GO!', we MUST be ready to go into "Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea, and unto the ends of the Earth" (Acts 1:8).  Good physical conditioning is a MUST for anyone who claims to be a Christian and desires to fulfill God's command to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:18-20).

 

THE EMOTIONAL EXCHANGE

 

    Is documented in scientific research many times over.  Without being too technical, the human body is made up of a series of chemical reactions.  These reactions are exhibited through one's apparent mood, energy, and general overall well-being.  What a complex structure the human body is to require so many interactions to maintain itself. 

    As a complex structure, much care must go into the supervision of each system of the body to ensure its proper functioning.  That has already been taken care of by our creator, God the Father.  "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven  together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:15-16).  In the course of history, however, this delicately created and awesomely cared for complex structure was oppressed by unintended forces.  Now, we find improper chemical reactions occurring, or what the medical community has labeled chemical imbalances.  These imbalances are the direct cause of all ailments in today's world whether Cancer, HIV, AIDS, Alzheimer's Disease, Heart Disease, Fatigue, Obesity, Mental Retardation, Depression, the list could go on.

    The conclusion of research studies is that exercise, any amount of physical activity above and beyond the scope of one's consistant everyday life, has alleviated, if not cured, severe symptoms characterized by these illnesses. 

    Exercise is a mood stabilizer and internal body cleanser.  In the course of activity, the body flushes through its blood supply, opens and closes the muscles to allow fresh oxygen in and old (toxic) oxygen out, the skin strips and rejuvenates itself, and many more reactions and responses take place.  This process of reactions is so numerous and efficient that in actuality, one's body constantly renews itself moment by moment, and day by day.  Presented in this light, the body actually dies if it is not keep alive, consistently renewing itself, through motion and activity.

 

THE PHYSICAL LINK

 

    Is unmistakable.  It only takes two weeks of habitual exercise for your body to begin reaping the benefits and your mind to appreciate the rewards.  When one's clothes fit better and one's eyes are pleased with what they see, one's poise displays extreme happiness and confidence.  This internal satisfaction inevitably leads to greater productivity and ingenuity in every aspect of one’s life.