14 Days to Integrating Faith and FitnessSample

Work Your Muscles

"Do not grow weary of doing good. For then you will reap the harvest." Galatians 6:9

Have you ever taken a few months, or even years, off from your physical fitness, then returned? It hurts after that first run, lift, or game, doesn’t it? And not the kind of, “That hurts in a good way,” but the kind of hurt that leaves you curled up in a fetal position for a few days. Working out breaks down your muscles and leaves you sore, even when it’s done the right way. And the remedy for that (in addition to mobility and ice baths) is more working out. 

Wait, what?

You mean to tell me that I should keep doing that thing that hurts?

The more you press through, and develop habits, the more your muscles learn to respond to the pain of being broken down. They respond by getting stronger and quicker in their response time, able to sustain more weight and pressure, and visibly looking more fit. 

The more disciplined we grow in our physical lives, the stronger our physical bodies become. As we integrate that same truth to our faith, we see the same results. Read your Bible only once, and it’ll leave you sore. Share your faith once, and you’ll just feel embarrassed. Serve others once and it may just seem like a waste of time.

But repeatedly, day in and day out, love others like your life depended on it and suddenly you’ll find yourself sore in the right ways. Exhausted at the end of the day, you’ll find your rest rejuvenating, charging you up to love again tomorrow.