Not only do I work with the Strength and Conditioning
department, I also am the Assistant Hall director of the freshman dorms on
campus. During the summer we rent out the dorms to camps so that they can come
on campus and do whatever it is they do. Recently a church choir camp came to
visit my university and all of its little campers stayed right around my
room. Our building has a lounge that sits behind the front door exit; this
meant that each time I would walk outside I would have to stroll by it. All of
the choir practices and meetings were held in the lounge, so every day the
campers would see me, and I would see them. At first I thought I had something
on my face, because each time I walked by they would stare at me with twisted
lips. But after three days I concluded that they just didn’t like me being
there. After a quick talk with one of the campers I was informed that they were
a “very strict church with high morals.”
This was no skin off of my back; people have been looking at
me funny my entire life. However, over the course of the campers stay I began
to realize something. Most of the camp members were heavy set, and it wasn’t
hard to realize why. Every day they would bring in a new cake, a new box of
donuts, and a new squadron of cookies. I didn’t see them eat one vegetable the
entire trip. That relays me to this point: how likely is it for a church to
preach against sexual immorality to the youth, but then turn around and have an
all you can eat pot luck for its most heavy set members? Or a better question,
is our church killing off its members through gluttony?
Intermittent fasting is being used by many athletes and
fitness enthusiasts alike. There is research to support that the body will
remain healthier, leaner, and less inflamed if the person fasts one day and
then eats as much as he or she wants the next. If you’re a Christian then you
have at least heard of fasting for God and spiritual reasons. If you bring that
up at your church, especially if it’s a Baptist one, then your pastor might
recommend you fast from TV instead of food. I only say this because I have been told this by not one, but two different pastors at two different churches. No surprise, it seems that the
second most obese country in the world has a food idolatry problem. Rather than
fast from technology, which I’m not saying is bad, we should fast from food;
the way it was intended. My greatest revelations have come from reading the
word and praying while my stomach is empty; I believe God indoctrinated fasting for a reason.
I’ve been told many times that fitness is not for everyone,
usually by the most unfit. This blows my mind, because everyone was born to
work the land and be fit. And staying fit doesn’t just mean looking good for
your spouse, no staying fit could mean that you have 15 more years to spread
the gospel. Have your ears peaked up and has your attention been grabbed. That’s
right, fitness is not just about looking or performing better; it’s about
keeping your temple in tip top shape. Close your eyes and imagine all of the
things that you could do for Christ with an extra fifteen years of ministry.
If you haven't been taking care of the body God had blessed you
with, then I hope you will now. Throwing away your junk food today could result
in helping someone to Christ in the future. If this doesn’t motivate you to
reprogram your fitness intentions then I can’t fathom what would. So not only do
I challenge you, the reader, to revamp your fitness, but I also challenge you
to motivate your family to start eating healthier and exercising. Please share this
message either by facebook, twitter, or word of mouth! Just get the message out
there: fitness and ministry go hand in hand.
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