Fit For Something More!

Although this blog page is, for the most part, about catching our second wind of physical health and fitness, today I want to take a bit of a more holistic approach to the subject.

Since my retirement from pastoring (in case you don’t know I served as a pastor for over 40 years), I’ve been working as a personal trainer at a local gym, The Fort Athletic Club, as well as through my own business, Second Wind Personal Training. I’m passionate about fitness and health both for myself and for others. That’s why I entered this field as a second career. It’s my hope that I might be able to help others gain the fitness and health they need to enjoy life and live the kind of life God intends for them to live. After all, an unfit and unhealthy body ends up as a body filled with limitations. A fit body is able to move and do and enjoy every aspect of life. 

However, I’m also keenly aware that we as people are more than our bodies. God created us as holistic beings: body, mind, soul, and spirit. We are multi-faceted, not merely one dimensional bodies. That requires that we not only take care of our bodies, but as well care for our whole selves—i.e., our minds, our souls, and our spirits. 

It’s true, what we do to keep our physical bodies healthy and strong is beneficial and ought not be underrated; our physical training helps us to live our lives in a physical way to the fullest. We ought not, however, ignore our minds, our emotions, our inner selves, our spirits.  For one, no matter how healthy are our bodies, we will all one day pass—i.e., even the healthiest people die. Thus, we want to be sure to nurture our spiritual selves through building a strong relationship with God. As well, our minds need to be stimulated, our emotions disciplined, and our inner selves always in a state of growth. All of this requires training and disciplining every other part of our selves as diligently as we train our bodies. 

I do believe with my whole heart, God wants us to keep our bodies fit and healthy. After all, they are a gift from him. Yet, he would as well call us to keep ourselves spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually fit. We might say, he wants us to be fit for something more! 

In the Bible, we read the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”  (1 Timothy 4:8 – NLT) 

So today, go for a walk or run, get into the gym, eat the right foods, and…read your Bible and pray; read a good book or listen to a podcast; take some time for good conversation; take time to ponder your life and your eternal future. Let’s be fit for something more! 

Have a great day!

- Tim Harris