Post by Michael K on Jan 12, 2013 16:31:16 GMT -5
Is Bodily Exercise Biblical?
In this article I am not taking any sides or trying to prove a point. I am simply going to let you know my view on what the Bible says about it and let you decide.
What is your purpose?
I would like to start out by saying that, I do work out. In fact, I work out every day! During the spring, summer and fall I do a lot of running and outdoor sports (with family and friends). I do push ups, sit ups or crunches, dips, weights and a lot of other things. But, a very big point I am going to tell you is that, I don’t work out for looks. I am thin and tall and that’s how God made me. I am not trying to work out to look better, change the way I look or show off muscle. I work out because I am trying to stay in shape and meanwhile taking care of this body, that God gave me. 1 Chronicles 6:19 “What? Know ye that your body is that temple of the Holy Ghost? Which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
I am going to show you a verse that probably most of you know about already,
1 Timothy 4:8 “ For bodily exercise profiteth little : but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
It’s basically saying that, you won’t gain much with bodily exercise but rather that you’ll gain more here on earth and heaven by trying to be Godly. Think of it, what will being in shape do for you for a few years here on earth?
Let’s refer back to 1 Chronicles 6:19. If our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, don’t you think we should take care of it? That’s why in the Bible it never says, “don’t smoke”, but your destroying and messing up the temple of God. You’re abusing the body which God gave you! Also, it’s not a good testimony.
We should try keep our bodies clean from all sin and harm as much as possible. God giving us bodies and us abusing them is like, if I were to give you a house, beautiful or not, and then coming back a few years later and finding it filled with trash and falling apart! How do you think I would feel? How do you think God feels when we destroy our bodies?! We are stewards of these bodies!
Taking care of our bodies doesn't just mean exercise but also eating right, staying away from physical and spiritual sin, etc. Some people get carried away with this and it becomes there life but I always say, everything in moderation. Don’t spend a lot of time that you may or may not have, working out, instead of spending time with God and His word. Also, before you start working out think, what is my goal for exercising? What is my purpose, to look better or take care of the temple of God and stay fit? I am not saying you won’t look better. In fact you may look great after a few weeks of exercise, but is that your goal?
Proverbs 20:29
The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.
In that verse it talks about when men are young their glory is their strong! How will you be strong unless you do hard labor or exercise? I am not saying that, that is what is says but it’s the truth. If you sit around all day, you will become fat, lazy and absolutely….. not strong! Get outside and work, exercise or something for a while and that’s how you’ll gain strength.
Construction men didn’t get their muscles from nowhere! Their hard work got them there! If they sat around on the job all day they would become fat and lazy!
When is too much, too much?
Simple! Too much is too much when it becomes obsessive, it takes time away from God and family and it becomes your life. Trust me, once you start seeing results it’s hard not to become too much into it. All I can say is, pray! If you feel like God doesn’t want you to workout then don’t! I do because I enjoy it and I am trying to keep myself as well kept as possible since I’m the steward of myself!
(A word of caution. I urge young men under the age of 16 or 17 not to lift heavy weight nor do any serious types of work outs. Your bones are still soft and are still maturing. You will ruin them if you do.)
There is not much more to say about this other then, pray. God will guide you in this decision. Have a wonderful day!
Written by, Michael Khodabash
In this article I am not taking any sides or trying to prove a point. I am simply going to let you know my view on what the Bible says about it and let you decide.
What is your purpose?
I would like to start out by saying that, I do work out. In fact, I work out every day! During the spring, summer and fall I do a lot of running and outdoor sports (with family and friends). I do push ups, sit ups or crunches, dips, weights and a lot of other things. But, a very big point I am going to tell you is that, I don’t work out for looks. I am thin and tall and that’s how God made me. I am not trying to work out to look better, change the way I look or show off muscle. I work out because I am trying to stay in shape and meanwhile taking care of this body, that God gave me. 1 Chronicles 6:19 “What? Know ye that your body is that temple of the Holy Ghost? Which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
I am going to show you a verse that probably most of you know about already,
1 Timothy 4:8 “ For bodily exercise profiteth little : but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
It’s basically saying that, you won’t gain much with bodily exercise but rather that you’ll gain more here on earth and heaven by trying to be Godly. Think of it, what will being in shape do for you for a few years here on earth?
Let’s refer back to 1 Chronicles 6:19. If our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, don’t you think we should take care of it? That’s why in the Bible it never says, “don’t smoke”, but your destroying and messing up the temple of God. You’re abusing the body which God gave you! Also, it’s not a good testimony.
We should try keep our bodies clean from all sin and harm as much as possible. God giving us bodies and us abusing them is like, if I were to give you a house, beautiful or not, and then coming back a few years later and finding it filled with trash and falling apart! How do you think I would feel? How do you think God feels when we destroy our bodies?! We are stewards of these bodies!
Taking care of our bodies doesn't just mean exercise but also eating right, staying away from physical and spiritual sin, etc. Some people get carried away with this and it becomes there life but I always say, everything in moderation. Don’t spend a lot of time that you may or may not have, working out, instead of spending time with God and His word. Also, before you start working out think, what is my goal for exercising? What is my purpose, to look better or take care of the temple of God and stay fit? I am not saying you won’t look better. In fact you may look great after a few weeks of exercise, but is that your goal?
Proverbs 20:29
The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.
In that verse it talks about when men are young their glory is their strong! How will you be strong unless you do hard labor or exercise? I am not saying that, that is what is says but it’s the truth. If you sit around all day, you will become fat, lazy and absolutely….. not strong! Get outside and work, exercise or something for a while and that’s how you’ll gain strength.
Construction men didn’t get their muscles from nowhere! Their hard work got them there! If they sat around on the job all day they would become fat and lazy!
When is too much, too much?
Simple! Too much is too much when it becomes obsessive, it takes time away from God and family and it becomes your life. Trust me, once you start seeing results it’s hard not to become too much into it. All I can say is, pray! If you feel like God doesn’t want you to workout then don’t! I do because I enjoy it and I am trying to keep myself as well kept as possible since I’m the steward of myself!
(A word of caution. I urge young men under the age of 16 or 17 not to lift heavy weight nor do any serious types of work outs. Your bones are still soft and are still maturing. You will ruin them if you do.)
There is not much more to say about this other then, pray. God will guide you in this decision. Have a wonderful day!
Written by, Michael Khodabash