Bodily Training is of Some Value

With an understanding that God created all that is seen and unseen, that He is pro-human and created a physical world for humans to inhabit and flourish in, how should that cause Christians to think about the appropriate stewardship of our bodies? While there are many topics in Scripture that pertain to stewarding one’s body well, my aim is to focus on bodily training as a way to glorify and honor God, our Creator.

“ ⁷ Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; ⁸ for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. ⁹ The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.” 1 Timothy 4:7-9

The apostle Paul recognizes that bodily training is of “some” value. These verses come directly after Paul counters the argument of some who would say Christians ought to refrain from marriage and abstain from eating certain foods to show a “more sincere faith” (1 Timothy 4:1-3). Paul goes on to say that everything received with thanksgiving and prayer is not to be rejected (1 Timothy 4:4), but he does not outright discredit the benefits of self-discipline and restraint when appropriately prioritized (i.e., of lesser value than training in godliness). This statement, “of some value,” challenges the Christian who (a) believes our only source of sanctification is through the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2) and (b) places little-to-no value on physical self-discipline as a means of spiritual growth. It also challenges the stoic and/or unhealthy fitness influencer who promises the fulfillment of our life’s greatest need through restraint and discipline of the mind and body, only.

As Christians, we need to recognize it as a “both, and” – we should put to death the sin that lies within us through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, striving for the Kingdom of God with our complete hope set on Him who is the “Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10), AND take care of our physical health through disciplined daily action to support our spiritual growth. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, likening godly discipline/self-control to the discipline exhibited by athletes:

“ ²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. ²⁵ Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. ²⁶ So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

As a former athlete, these verses fire me up! There is a point to all the training that we do…to win the trophy at the end of the season and be crowned victors. That is why you train even when you don’t feel like it. That is why you dial in your nutrition and abstain from certain things to ensure your body is primed for competition. It takes discipline to be a champion, much like the discipline that is required to be found faithful in Christ Jesus! Further, physical and spiritual discipline are not mutually exclusive. Disciplined physical training enables me to remain disciplined in my scripture reading, prayer and service to others (though I will never claim to be perfect). Disciplined physical training enables me to show up well for my family and do the things that will support our gym and its members. However, I am not disciplined solely for the sake of temporal fulfillment, rather my desire to be a good steward of all the things God has given me causes me to be disciplined in my action to work heartily as for the Lord (Colossians 3:22). Truly, bodily training has proven to be of some value for me and for my household!

The following are things that have helped ensure my training is done to glorify God as much as possible. There may be others, but here is what I’ve found to be helpful:

“ ⁴ For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”  1 Timothy 4:4-5

If you read Genesis 1, you’ll see God call all that he created “good,” giving all of creation his stamp of approval. Understanding this reality, Paul goes on to say that nothing should be rejected (in the text, specifically marriage and food; in our context physical training) if it is received with thanksgiving and bathed in the word of God and prayer, because all that God created is good. So how can Christians honor God through exercise? By giving thanks to God for the time to train and consecrating your time of training in prayer. It’s only through God’s life sustaining power that I can have the gift of exerting myself physically. As I grow in my strength, speed and endurance, I recognize that these are gifts from God and can be taken away in an instant. So, I give thanks, pray for safety, then absolutely GET AFTER IT! Often my training is done after prayer and scripture reading. On other days my training comes before I read scripture, but as you can see, my bodily training is always done around the same time as I’m training in godliness.

So Christian, honor the LORD by being grateful for the time to train, praying over your training and, if possible, immediately before or after you spend time in God’s word.

Being physically active adds so much joy to my life. Through consistent training I can play and rough house with my children without worrying about getting injured. I can go on longish runs early in the morning and enjoy the sunrise / sounds of the world waking up. I can go on hikes and see the beauty of God’s creation without fear that my body will suddenly give out due to a lack of physical fitness:

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
² Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
³ For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.” – Psalm 95:1-5

This joy and praise emanate from me when I spend time in His creation, and the training that I do directly correlates with my ability to explore and enjoy His creation more! Consider whether your physical health is preventing you from enjoying God’s creation – if it is (and not the result of injury, disability or disease), then it’s time to lace up those shoes and start exercising. There is a whole beautiful world out there for you to enjoy and explore!

So, bodily training is of some value! God cares for your physical needs and desires that you enjoy Him by enjoying His creation. Renew your mind AND discipline your body through physical training, with thanksgiving and prayer, to grow in your faith and honor Him. To be clear, these actions add no value to your salvation – Jesus paid it all on the cross for you. But they will serve you immensely to grow in Christ and enjoy the life you have been given.

Blessings!

If you’d like to learn more about the Parris Performance Institute, check out our website, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and join our free fitness group for people in the Lehigh Valley where we answer fitness related questions and post/host various challenges.

If you’re looking to maximize your fitness by receiving coaching, fill out our connect with a coach form or book a free “No Sweat Intro” to learn more about the small group training programs taking place at the Parris Performance Institute. For those of you not in the Lehigh Valley, we also do online coaching as well.

Now…go make today better than you found it!