After an intense workout, I remember standing in front of my mirror contently admiring my shape. I’ve had a mental list of improvements that I wanted in order to achieve my ideal body type. To reach my goals, I followed a couple of fitness-based social media accounts and monitored my caloric intake. I ate at least five to six meals a day and worked out three to four times a week. In order to increase muscle mass, I slowly added weights and decreased repetitions on the squat rack. After months of training, I was finally able to say, “I like my body shape”. Then like a turbulent wave, March 2020 crashed in and with it came a statewide lock down.
Apparently, gyms are not considered an essential business during a pandemic. It is likely due to the fact that a large number of people are in close vicinity while sharing exercise equipment, most of whom do not sanitize the equipment after use. Right before my state followed suit with its own lock down, I went to my local sporting goods store and purchased ten pound weights and resistance bands. I figured a lock down would last only a month or so and these would suffice in maintaining my muscle mass. Now keep in mind, my max squat weight was 160 (including the bar), so ten pounds was a menial amount. This was only temporary, and things would return to normal in no time. Here it is nearly four months later and the gym is still closed. I lost twelve pounds of muscle mass! My clothes fit different, curves became straight, and home workouts tedious. Alas, my perfect body shape faded in just a short time. Herein lies an opportunity to learn a lesson.
This flesh is fleeting. In a moment, everything can change. We are here today, but tomorrow we may be in eternity. Don’t get me wrong! I’m the biggest advocate for health and wellness. When we steward our bodies well, it brings glory to God and allows us to serve the kingdom longer. But it is not the most important thing. What if we were just as diligent about the condition of our spiritual bodies? What if we couldn’t get enough of God’s word? Let’s take a moment and create a “fit spiritual man workout”. You could listen to worship music as you dress in the morning. Maybe take a devotional or prayer break at work when you get frustrated with a coworker. You could rewatch Sunday services in order to absorb any missed points. Dig deeper into the Word by doing intensive studies on various characters and topics. How would your spirit man look after months of doing this workout?
We are more than what is seen on the outside. We are a spirit who has a soul that lives in a body. While being physically strong has its benefits, spiritual strength is more important. In these last days, we must be rooted in the things of God. That way we can stand against anything the devil throws at us. Are you building up your spirit man?
Be encouraged! 😊
Scripture References: I Timothy 4:8-9 (NLT) “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it.”
2 Cor 4:16-18 (GNT) “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
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