4 REASONS CHRISTIANS SHOULD WORK OUT

So I joined High School when I was a 'big' girl...I weighed more than I should have by then...even as we went to get my uniform...the store owner thought we were buying the uniform for my brother because I did not look like I was joining form one.....lol

The first term we were encouraged to join sports and I opted for football and lawn tennis...well...I love both games...by the time we were going for mid-term I had dropped a whooping 10 kg and I must say it felt good going to the tailor to reduce the size of the uniform...almost went back to that store owner to get a new pair....

That for me.... is where it all started.....and over time I developed a habit of exercising and trying to maintain my weight....

Fast forward...when I accepted to be a disciple of Christ....for some reason this motivated me even more considering.....

1. 1 Corinthians 6:19: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

I got to understand that my body is not mine and since its God's temple...it should be in its best from possible.... for example...look at the white house and the Kenya State house....they are beautiful houses and they are uniquely built to be extraordinary and exceptional because they house the President......now Imagine God lives in you as a Christian.....(take a moment)...as in the Maker of the Universe...God who speaks and things come into existence.lives in you! ..isn't that just amazing and beyond incredible!!!! then we are expected to take care of that temple and keep it in the best possible condition we can. 

2. Matthew 28:19:Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
We have been given a mandate as Christians to go out and make disciples...so how are we going to do this when we always lack energy....tired..sick? Your physical health is key in you carrying out your mandate as a Christian.....and we are expected to make disciples...this is the race that Paul talked about...that in the end we will be crowned and be called faithful servants because we heeded to do what Christ call us to do....to make Disciples...

3.Hebrews 10:36: You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
For those who have tried exercising...you know it goes beyond the physical and usually during the work out you have to always convince yourself to finish it even when the body doesn't feel like it...you have to push your self mentally......

Physical exercise develops endurance in us...whereby we have to endure to finish what we start/exercise reps in order to see the desired results....

Endurance is key for every Christian..as we are assured that the Christian life does come with a lot of trials and challenges that we need to endure through so that we can get what God has promised which is spending eternity in His presence where we finally find rest.....The Christian life is NOT easy and requires us to hold on and keep our focus on the goal,......

4. Proverbs 25:28: A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Making fitness a lifestyle requires a lot of self-discipline.....meaning you have to avoid overeating certain types of food and you have to be consistent in your work out plan.....meaning you will have to eat things that do not taste so good...you will have to control the portion of food you consume....you will have to wake up and work out even during days you don't feel like...in other words you will go against your flesh...

As Christians we are called to bear fruit...fruit that lasts....and self-control is mentioned as an ingredient of the fruit that we are called to bear,,,,where we display self control in all that we do...whether in our eating...in our responses when we are angry....and even in us resisting temptation requires us to be self-disciplined....

You develop self-discipline when fitness is your lifestyle....

You might say..you do not have time......thing is you do have time..you just do not make time for what is not a priority for you....or maybe you do not have enough money to join the gym or whatever else......EXCUSES!

Solutions:

1. Download an APP and use it to work out...you do not have to go to the gym 

2. Go to YouTube and see the different exercises you can do in the house or nearby and apply

3. There is a lot of information out there put up by trained personal trainers and nutritionists ..look for them and apply it

4. Take a walk.....

5. Get an accountability partner and keep track of each other...

Its pretty challenging to start...you will fall along the way..but do not let it stop you...stand up and try again..you will get the hang of it...

Its time as Christians we need to start seeing physical fitness as a call the same way we see spiritual fitness as a call for every Christian.....after all you live in your body as long as you are in this earth and there is no spare...so if you want to really live out your Christianity and represent Christ here on earth...work out!!!