1 Corinthians 9:27 “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.”
Last Saturday I decided to workout. We have a rooftop patio at our hostel here in ChiangMai. I did a workout containing crunches, squats, planks, wall sit, triceps dips, lunges, and pushups. I struggled so much, the whole time I was saying out loud, “this is hard, this is pathetic, this is ridiculous.” Well this is the first time I’ve worked out in 8 months, aside from exercise required by monthly ministries, but I have not worked out.
To all those out there who keep trying to get into routine and trying to change your life for the better, making New Years resolutions, new Mondays, I wondered sometimes why it was hard for people to get into exercising consisitently then I realized it last Saturday. Before the race, I normally get out of a workout and think wow that felt great and this time I thought wow that felt horrible. It didn’t feel normal for my body to be working that hard to breathe and push forward and it also didn’t exactly make me want to do that again. I didn’t exactly feel that great. Also coming from me, I’d rather work out in the cool air that Montana and Wyoming provides but I’m in a year long of summer and have often used the excuse during the last 8 months “it’s too hot to work out.”
Heres the real question: are you going to let this hard workout defeat you or are you going to let this struggle motivate you?
I decided after last Saturday that I would like to get back in shape a bit, I would love to get back to my running like I was before the race when I get back home, I ran my 7th half marathon 2 weeks before I launched in September. I would like to be flexible like I used to be and just to actually enjoy exercising. I made a commitment to continue this workout every saturday this month, I had just listened to a podcast about keeping your word and one of the common reasons people don’t stick to their commitments is because they have too many. I told myself I can do whatever I want along the week BUT every Saturday I have to do this workout, that’s what I’m committing to.
I attended church Sunday the next day and approached this guy and we exchanged stories and what we are doing here and vice verse. Then he told us about this new gym that we can drop in at just $3 a day. How cool is that! that motivates me to be able to say hey during my free time I’m going to go check out this gym. Then one of my teammates had attended a CrossFit gym and listening to her I thought wow I could go there. Needless to say, Sunday night we got more information about our ministry and guess what?! Monday Wednesday Friday we will join in workout sessions with the organization we are working with this month. There is a lot fitness health associated with organization and I’m not going to share who I’m working with because I would like to stay here working for them 🙂
So Monday rolls around and no joke I get my butt kicked! Heres our workout.
I’m so thankful that God has filled my desires in wanting to exercise and get in shape. I get to save money and do it alongside serving the Lord. I love that it’s a part of my ministry so it helps to exercise in a group and having someone tell you what to do. Also I kind of miss going to a gym! I also wanted to share that we are adding Zumba workout on thursday and for Friday our workout is a 4 mile hike, in the first 2 miles it is 1800 ft elevation gain. I am going to die! I just realized now I will be working out 5 days this week! Wow talk about a jump into fitness!
So now what does this mean? Spiritually? What does it matter that I’m fit or that I make sure I exercise? It might not seem like it but in our walk with the Lord, our physical well-being is just as important as our emotional and spiritual well-being.
Romans 12:1 “I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.”
Its important for physical well being because it can affect our behavior, our moods, and our motivation. Exercise is one part of physical well-being, the way we think and what we eat also plays a role in our body. Cleansing your body is important by controlling what you allow your mind to go through, what we watch, listen to, and eat and drink. 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” Caring for our bodies by exercising is an act of worship to God. Ephesians 5:29 “No one hates his own body but feed and cares for it just as Christ cares for the church. “
Anything and everything we do in life requires energy. Being physically fit can help you meet goals, can help you accomplish what you need to do. It can improve our mood, good in health benefits, promotes better sleep, makes your days more enjoyable, improves your self-esteem and confidence in yourself, boosts your immune system, it overall benefits your body well.
Our body is a temple from the Lord. It’s important how we treat our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you. Whom you have from God? You are not your own.” Our health can be beneficial in serving the Lord. Doing what is required. I wanted to share with you that this week I am in charge of the gardening and landscaping at this organization‘s office. yesterday I spent an hr or so weedeating the lawn, there wasn’t a mower but I was thankful for a weedeater because usually the other option is a machete and that would’ve taken me forever! I cut down dead branches and dead parts of plants, I trimmed up this plant that’s grown way out of control. Today I did a bunch of stuff but one big project I cleared out this area of weeds, plants, and randomness of nature. I found so many creatures, full of snails, found a slug, many spiders, including one double the size of a 50cent coin. I found this worm that was really big and decided to pick it up (had gloves on) and there something moves and it’s a scorpion! Huge and here I am with just slides on and thought I do not want that thing to come and clip me in the toe! But we killed it. I also found a turtle about twice the size of a cd disk that was dead. Yard work in Thailand is a bit different then yard work back home as far as what I find! I also got to ride along to buy some banana trees for the yard to plant tomorrow!
Anyway wish me luck on these next 4 days of exercise! I know I can do it. Just do the best I can, take it one day at a time and I’ll be ready to crash all day Sunday! Love you all and hope you all doing well.
