Pastor, How is Your Exercise and Fitness?
Busyness.
Fatigue.
Negligence.
Each of these serves as reasons Pastors do not make physical fitness a part of their day. There seems to be a major disconnect among our profession regarding the importance of our physical condition.
It is not my intention to create guilt, but motivation. I’m not trying to heap added pressure upon your life along with what you already deal with daily.
My purpose is to encourage you to take some kind of physical action to care for your health. I want to challenge you to understand that this is connected to your walk with Christ, and will help you relieve major stress on a daily basis. And very importantly, I want to impress upon you how much your testimony for Jesus can be enhanced by how you take care of your body.
A Personal Testimony
In my younger years, I was neglectful of my physical condition. I was going to school, not sleeping much, working long hours, and parenting young children. Physical fitness was just not a priority. Sadly, eating was a major priority. Eating is the accepted vice of most ministers. Therefore, when these combined, at one point in my earliest ministry, I blew up to 207 pounds.
One day, it all changed. I began a major commitment to my physical condition. I started walking daily. Years later, I began running some and working out with weights. I was a sprinter in high school, not a distance runner, so running never appealed to me at all. However, for the past fifteen years and more, I have become a consistent runner. Oh, not a true runner, more of a jogger. Anyone that has ever gone with me knows I will probably not outrun them, but I may outlast them.
Presently, I run an hour or so a day, four to five days a week. Additionally, I work out with a trainer for one or two days a week, focusing on weight training. This commitment is very important in my life. Even on Sunday mornings, I jog on the treadmill for an hour. I go over my message for the day, working through mastering it before delivering it.
I am convinced that I could not do what I do – with my work load and life’s pressure – without this strong commitment to running and weight training. Caring for my body is very important, not only for the quality of my health, but the management of my responsibilities.
If you have read previously concerning my morning schedule, you will see that I exercise in the morning. Delayed exercise and fitness usually results in no exercise and fitness. This is why I do it in the mornings.
Reasons I Believe In Exercise and Fitness
Let me share some reasons why I believe in exercise and fitness in my life.
Perhaps this will motivate you or encourage you in some way.
Taking care of your body is biblical
Yes, I know what the Scripture says in 1 Timothy 4:8,
For training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way….
Without question, spiritual fitness is much more important than physical fitness; however, they need to be friends and companions, not enemies and competitors. Life is about priorities. I promise you, my #1 priority is my personal walk and devotion to Jesus Christ. Yet, this does not keep me from caring for my body.
The Scripture also says in 1 Corinthians 6:19,
Don’t you know your body is the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, who you have from God? You are not your own.
Therefore, if God lives in us, then we need to take care of our bodies, which is the temple and dwelling place of God in our lives. We are body, soul, and spirit according to the Bible. Therefore, taking care of your body is biblical.
Exercising your body is your spiritual service to God
Surely Pastor, you have quoted or spoken from Colossians 3:17 in your teaching ministry. It says,
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Therefore, offer even your exercise and fitness as a spiritual service to God, bringing Him glory as you do it. While most of the time it is not fun, it is necessary to improve your health and the conditioning of your body. In turn, it will be an asset to the quality of your life and service to God.
Benefits of Exercise and Fitness
Let me give you these things for consideration.
Benefit #1: Exercise and fitness increases the probability of my body being in better shape, which in turn should give me a much greater ability to serve the Lord now and longer in life.
Benefit #2: Exercise and fitness provide me opportunities to grow in my personal faith, as I use this time daily to have others pour into my life. Technology permits me to listen to others teach me, preach to me, and mentor me on matters of life, ministry, and leadership while I exercise. Therefore, this is not just futile physical exercise to me, but more deeply and importantly, moments to practice and grow in godliness. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I have grown the last two to three years by adding this practice to my exercise and fitness. In any given week, I may listen to four or five hours of great mentorship. If I can do this while working out, you can do this.
Benefit #3: Exercise and fitness greatly reduces my stress level. I am convinced that daily exercise and fitness helps me view life in a more positive manner, all because I am reducing stress. Personally, I exercise five to six days a week. I need it physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Benefit #4: Exercise and fitness improves my attitude. Pastors deal with negativity daily. People pour their stuff upon us and when we do not take it to God in prayer and manage it personally, it affects our attitude negatively. Therefore, I promise you, exercise and fitness improves your attitude.
Final Challenges
Pastor, here are my final challenges to you about exercise and fitness.
- Start now – do something.
- Get it done in the morning.
- Be consistent five days a week.
I read a few days ago that John Wesley stated at age 78, “By God’s blessing, I’m the same I was at 28, chiefly by constant exercise and preaching morning and evening.”
That’s tremendously encouraging to me, and I hope to you as well.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Are You Prepared to Resolve Conflicts?
“If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18, HCSB).
In a recent post on resolving conflict, we saw evidence from LifeWay Research that most people believe they are prepared to resolve conflict between themselves and others. According to a survey of more than 1,000 American adults, nearly 85% somewhat or strongly agree they are prepared for conflict resolution.
But how prepared are they, really?
Less than half the time, respondents answered:
- Go to a higher authority
- Avoid the problem and hope it goes away
- Attempt to fully satisfy yourself and others
More than half the time, respondents answered:
- Give in to the other person
- Pretend there is no conflict
Nearly 75% of the time, respondents answered:
- Find a middle ground
The answer mentioned most often – more than 80% of the time – was “Stand up for yourself.” This reveals a problematic thought process of how conflict can be resolved, though.
Selfishness Causes Conflict
We know from experience that wanting our own way – selfishness – is the cause of conflict, not the solution to it. Those who insist on their own way impede peace rather than pave the way for it. Just hang out in a room full of two year-olds for a little while. You’ll likely see lots of selfishness and plenty of toddler-sized conflict.
The Bible addressed this issue centuries ago. In Philippians, Paul writes,
If there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Phil. 2:1-4, HCSB).
Did you notice how it says unity is dependent upon the attitude of humility and preferring others before yourself? Not something that room full of two year-olds mentioned earlier has learned to do yet.
Humility is an Antidote to Selfishness
The attitudes of humility and putting others first are at direct odds with standing up for yourself as a means of resolving conflict. If humility can deflect conflict in the beginning, it can also help resolve it.
Some conflict in life is inevitable. We are all sinners who don’t always agree with each other. However, as followers of Christ, we must be peacemakers in our families, small groups, workplaces, and families of faith. As we pour over God’s Word together, let’s make sure we remain humble, treat others as we hope to be treated, and put others before ourselves.
To put it another way, just like Paul says, “Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5, HCSB). When we do, there will be more unity and less conflict.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church Northwest Arkansas
General Editor, Bible Studies for Life
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.