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Physical Disciplines 

Yesterday, we talked about how small decisions can yield big results over time. One of the areas where we can clearly see that play out in our lives is in our physical health. 

As much as we all want a magical program to instantly erase patterns of unhealthy eating or help us reach an ideal weight and fitness level, we know that being physically healthy requires consistent patterns of eating well and exercising. And being physically healthy matters, because God cares about the well-being of our bodies, minds, and spirits. Scripture even describes our bodies as temples housing the Holy Spirit: 

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT 

Physical disciplines shouldn’t be about looking a certain way, but about taking care of the bodies God has given to us. And we can trust that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is living in us, giving us the desire and discipline to please God. 

So when you feel like you’re stuck in a rut about caring for your body, remember that you don’t have to make changes in your own strength. The Spirit of God can renew your mind, replace your desires, and give you the power you need to do what God has called you to do. 

As you reflect on that, what areas of your physical health come to your mind? 

Maybe you’re trying to eat healthier foods so that you have more consistent energy throughout the day. Maybe you recognize that you need more sleep so that you can stay focused and be a sharper problem-solver. Maybe you need to start exercising so that you can clear your mind and strengthen your body. Whatever it is for you, connect your “what” with a meaningful “why,” recognizing that all of these ways we take care of our bodies can be considered worship. 

Paul wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 9 when he said: 

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. … I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. … 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT 

The race Paul talked about was based on the Isthmian Games, which would kind of be like a modern-day Olympics—involving anything from races to fights to even musical competitions. Everyone who competed had to train diligently for at least 10 months to be able to participate, and the competition was fierce. Paul’s point isn’t that we should be incredible athletes competing against one another, but that we should view our spiritual journey as a race for a better prize than we can even imagine here on earth. 

One way we can continue working toward our eternal prize is by taking care of our bodies and exercising self-control. When we do this, we’re growing in discipline and honoring God.

Challenge: Christ in you is stronger than the wrong desires in you. So, in what ways do you need to be more disciplined when it comes to your physical health? How might disciplining yourself in those areas help you more effectively run your spiritual race?