I don't have a personal blog for general thoughts or musings on life. Most of those things generally come up around the time that I start preparing to hop the pond for a month, so when this blog post started bouncing around inside of me, I didn't know where to put it (I'm an external/verbal processor, by the way). But, since this is on God and exercise, I decided that this blog is as good a place as any to land my little plane.
Right now on the Desiring God Blog, they are doing a series of posts relating to physical exercise and sanctification (check out this video, as well as John Piper's articles here and here) talking about why physical exercise, eating well, and getting enough sleep is helpful for our pursuit of holiness and sanctification. To sum the links up for you, John Piper & Co. have said that all of these things are good because as long as we are healthy, able to move, and not feeling the negative effects of neglecting our bodies (crankiness, fatigue, impatient, etc.), then we are more effective in our ministry. That is not to say that the Lord can't use us when we're underfed, sleepy, and not in good physical health, but let's be honest: if you're one of those people who gets snarky when they haven't eaten enough, you aren't going to be the best ambassador of Christ that you can be to those around you. The points that they make in the video and articles are great, but to me, it felt as if something was missing. A big thing: JOY. Truth be told, the motivating factor in any of the choices didn't sound like joy, it sounded like an obligation and command to take care of our bodies. While we are holy vessels where the Spirit of God has decided to dwell, and we are not our own but bought with a price, the best part (to me) of my relationship with Christ is the joy that He has given me. Yes, there is discipline and yes, I do have to ask the Lord to help me kick the sinful desires to the curb when they stir up trouble, But the joy that I have found in Him far outweighs anything else. So, Mr. Piper (and the rest of the internet), here are my thoughts on why getting enough sleep, eating good things, and exercising are things that can ultimately be pursued with joy.
First, sleep, because it's the shortest of all the points. Everything that is said about sleep by the men much older and wiser than I am is all true - we need rest to face the day that is coming. Our bodies heal primarily at night, so if we deny ourselves sleep, we deny physical, emotional, and I will argue spiritual healing. But I think it's for a much more spiritual reason that we need to sleep: we are finite. We exist inside of time, and we love and serve a holy, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God. To quote Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl (one of my all-time favorite books),
Up next, eating well. And not just food that you like or that makes you comfortable, but good food. I wrote a post in Belgium last year about why I cook, but this relates more to the what we eat, not so much the why, though that is part of it. For me, I see good whole food as food that we are meant to eat. The more we process food, the more we get away from the original design. God didn't create processed pink-slime chicken tenders, but God did allow us to enjoy chicken. He didn't have chemically-preserved fruit hanging in the garden, but He did give Adam and Eve a garden full of plants to eat. At the end of the day, I maintain that a fresh salad made of nothing but veggies tastes better (and I know to be better) than an overly processed, chemical-ed within an inch of its being cheeseburger. Now, organic grass-fed cheeseburger versus an organic salad with lots of veggies... I'll get back to you. I know most people wouldn't have to think twice, but as someone coming of a year of no meat or eggs and very little dairy, a salad does sound a lot more appealing than a burger. My point is (I promise I have one) that the more we junk up our food, the farther we move away from God's original, intended plan. He knows what our bodies need, and meat-by-product is not on His master list.
And exercise. Oh, I could write several posts on this, but I won't because it's getting late and I need to sleep :) I don't know why you exercise, be it because you know you have to, because you're forced, or because you actually do enjoy it. But I know why I do, and it is because of the JOY that I experience when I do. I think it has to do with a couple of reasons. The first being that work is good. Before the fall, God put man to work in the garden. God did not put them on a beach and say, "Relax." He put them to work. When I workout, I am exerting effort. Is it for survival? No, but you never know, one day all this training may be needed. Am I producing anything? Nothing besides some pretty intense calloused hands. But that's okay, because when I'm working out, it feels good. It feels like I should be doing this, like I was created to work hard. But more than that, the reason I workout is to worship God. It is the time of the day when I feel closest to Him. Not when I'm eating, not when I'm watching a sunset, but when I'm getting my butt kicked by a workout.
We are God's creation. We were formed by His hands, in His image. He designed us, programmed us to function in a certain way, and orchestrated how all of our body systems work together. Our cardiovascular system is His creation. Our musculoskeletal system is His creation. Our nervous system is His creation. But we are not just a body, we are souls with bodies. And because of that, we are able to experience Creation in a way that nothing else can. We can only enjoy a sunset with our eyes, but we can't feel a sunset. We can smell the sweet fragrance of a flower, but we can't feel a flower's smell. We aren't conscious of those things that the Lord may use to draw us to Himself. But, when we workout, we are often very aware of creation. We can experience not only the relief of catching our breath after a tough cardio workout, but we experience the cardiovascular system to its fullest - from normal, resting pace to the feeling like it is being pushed to its limit. If you're like me, there is often that moment of, "I'm not sure if I'm going to make this; I need to stop or things won't end well." You're right, and that's okay. We are supposed to stop, and we are supposed to feel that warning. We don't just experience it once like we do a wave or meal, we ARE it.
I could go on, but I'm overwhelmed and I need to rest this morning-dew-on-the-grass body for tomorrow. So, to close, I suggest that the next time that you don't want to sleep, or you're trying to decide between "fallen" food or "holy" food, or trying to motivate yourself to workout (even if it is 30 minutes, three times a week), stop and remember the Lord. Go out and run until your lungs burn or your legs feel like jelly. That's when you'll find me closest to God - acutely aware of my weaknesses, marveling at His design for my body, and praying the entire time that I would be brought into a closer, more satisfying relationship with Him. And, as John Piper writes, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
Right now on the Desiring God Blog, they are doing a series of posts relating to physical exercise and sanctification (check out this video, as well as John Piper's articles here and here) talking about why physical exercise, eating well, and getting enough sleep is helpful for our pursuit of holiness and sanctification. To sum the links up for you, John Piper & Co. have said that all of these things are good because as long as we are healthy, able to move, and not feeling the negative effects of neglecting our bodies (crankiness, fatigue, impatient, etc.), then we are more effective in our ministry. That is not to say that the Lord can't use us when we're underfed, sleepy, and not in good physical health, but let's be honest: if you're one of those people who gets snarky when they haven't eaten enough, you aren't going to be the best ambassador of Christ that you can be to those around you. The points that they make in the video and articles are great, but to me, it felt as if something was missing. A big thing: JOY. Truth be told, the motivating factor in any of the choices didn't sound like joy, it sounded like an obligation and command to take care of our bodies. While we are holy vessels where the Spirit of God has decided to dwell, and we are not our own but bought with a price, the best part (to me) of my relationship with Christ is the joy that He has given me. Yes, there is discipline and yes, I do have to ask the Lord to help me kick the sinful desires to the curb when they stir up trouble, But the joy that I have found in Him far outweighs anything else. So, Mr. Piper (and the rest of the internet), here are my thoughts on why getting enough sleep, eating good things, and exercising are things that can ultimately be pursued with joy.
First, sleep, because it's the shortest of all the points. Everything that is said about sleep by the men much older and wiser than I am is all true - we need rest to face the day that is coming. Our bodies heal primarily at night, so if we deny ourselves sleep, we deny physical, emotional, and I will argue spiritual healing. But I think it's for a much more spiritual reason that we need to sleep: we are finite. We exist inside of time, and we love and serve a holy, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God. To quote Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl (one of my all-time favorite books),
It is hard to stay focused with so much swirling around me. God is distracting. He never stops talking, and I can never stop listening. There is a reason why we sleep.The Lord, in His mercy, allows us to sleep. He knows that we are finite and cannot withstand all of His glory. We have the Sabbath so we can rest, and a period of time set aside each day to recharge, fully able to hear Him the next day. We need to rest in order to both see and hear Him.
Up next, eating well. And not just food that you like or that makes you comfortable, but good food. I wrote a post in Belgium last year about why I cook, but this relates more to the what we eat, not so much the why, though that is part of it. For me, I see good whole food as food that we are meant to eat. The more we process food, the more we get away from the original design. God didn't create processed pink-slime chicken tenders, but God did allow us to enjoy chicken. He didn't have chemically-preserved fruit hanging in the garden, but He did give Adam and Eve a garden full of plants to eat. At the end of the day, I maintain that a fresh salad made of nothing but veggies tastes better (and I know to be better) than an overly processed, chemical-ed within an inch of its being cheeseburger. Now, organic grass-fed cheeseburger versus an organic salad with lots of veggies... I'll get back to you. I know most people wouldn't have to think twice, but as someone coming of a year of no meat or eggs and very little dairy, a salad does sound a lot more appealing than a burger. My point is (I promise I have one) that the more we junk up our food, the farther we move away from God's original, intended plan. He knows what our bodies need, and meat-by-product is not on His master list.
And exercise. Oh, I could write several posts on this, but I won't because it's getting late and I need to sleep :) I don't know why you exercise, be it because you know you have to, because you're forced, or because you actually do enjoy it. But I know why I do, and it is because of the JOY that I experience when I do. I think it has to do with a couple of reasons. The first being that work is good. Before the fall, God put man to work in the garden. God did not put them on a beach and say, "Relax." He put them to work. When I workout, I am exerting effort. Is it for survival? No, but you never know, one day all this training may be needed. Am I producing anything? Nothing besides some pretty intense calloused hands. But that's okay, because when I'm working out, it feels good. It feels like I should be doing this, like I was created to work hard. But more than that, the reason I workout is to worship God. It is the time of the day when I feel closest to Him. Not when I'm eating, not when I'm watching a sunset, but when I'm getting my butt kicked by a workout.
We are God's creation. We were formed by His hands, in His image. He designed us, programmed us to function in a certain way, and orchestrated how all of our body systems work together. Our cardiovascular system is His creation. Our musculoskeletal system is His creation. Our nervous system is His creation. But we are not just a body, we are souls with bodies. And because of that, we are able to experience Creation in a way that nothing else can. We can only enjoy a sunset with our eyes, but we can't feel a sunset. We can smell the sweet fragrance of a flower, but we can't feel a flower's smell. We aren't conscious of those things that the Lord may use to draw us to Himself. But, when we workout, we are often very aware of creation. We can experience not only the relief of catching our breath after a tough cardio workout, but we experience the cardiovascular system to its fullest - from normal, resting pace to the feeling like it is being pushed to its limit. If you're like me, there is often that moment of, "I'm not sure if I'm going to make this; I need to stop or things won't end well." You're right, and that's okay. We are supposed to stop, and we are supposed to feel that warning. We don't just experience it once like we do a wave or meal, we ARE it.
I could go on, but I'm overwhelmed and I need to rest this morning-dew-on-the-grass body for tomorrow. So, to close, I suggest that the next time that you don't want to sleep, or you're trying to decide between "fallen" food or "holy" food, or trying to motivate yourself to workout (even if it is 30 minutes, three times a week), stop and remember the Lord. Go out and run until your lungs burn or your legs feel like jelly. That's when you'll find me closest to God - acutely aware of my weaknesses, marveling at His design for my body, and praying the entire time that I would be brought into a closer, more satisfying relationship with Him. And, as John Piper writes, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
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