It’s New Year’s Eve! Tomorrow it’s time to start working toward the goals you probably set aside at the end of the year. If I had to guess, many of us put those goals on pause when pecan pies and Christmas cookies started showing up in November.
If so, we’re not alone because improving fitness, improving diet, and losing weight were among the most common new year’s goals in 2024. As women, it can be so easy for us to get pulled into the noise and consumed with changing our diet or fitness routine to keep up with the latest fitness craze.
But what if it’s about so much more than just getting fit or changing our diet?
In Mark 12, Jesus told us the most important command is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Our strength. Our physical body. We are commanded to love the Lord our God with ALL of it. Loving God with our heart, soul, and mind are the internal works, so that means our strength is used outwardly in loving people.
During Lifeway Women’s Leadership Forum earlier this year, Jen Wilkin spoke on the topic of loving the Lord with our strength and pointed out the stark difference between being a steward of something and the owner of something. “If we steward our body, we recognize that whatever we do with it is under the will of the Father.” Truthfully, until that moment I had never really thought about it in that way.
We are not the owners of our bodies but rather the steward of what we have been given. Look at 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:
Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.
But what does that look like?
Sorry if you came here for a 5-step weight loss program or biblical principles for wellness. That’s not what I have for you because, at the root of it all, fad diets and fitness trends aside, the best way to care for our bodies is to move daily, drink water, eat a well-balanced diet, and get the rest your body requires. Pretty simple, right?
Perhaps it’s about the things Christ teaches us as we steward our physical body for His purpose and calling.
When my husband and I are in training season for American Ninja Warrior, we dedicate long hours at the gym, pay careful consideration to the nutrients we are using to fuel our bodies, and always reserve one day for rest. It’s hard; there are days I don’t want to show up (although failing an obstacle on national television is a pretty good motivator). There are days I don’t want to eat protein. There are plenty of days my body aches and my hands bleed. It takes discipline.
Here’s what I’ve noticed: as my husband and I have dedicated ourselves to the training regimen, we become more disciplined in other areas of our lives. This discipline in lifestyle has made it easier for us to cultivate spiritual discipline in our lives.
This discipline and pursuit of fitness have also taught me a few things about the Christian walk. The main thing: we can’t do it alone.
When I first started training, I wanted to get to the top of the warped wall so badly, but it just wasn’t happening. And it didn’t happen until my husband came alongside me and ran up the warped wall beside me. This experience reminded me of my need for discipleship. Whether it’s in the gym or our faith walk, it’s biblical for us to find someone to come alongside us. Someone to walk and train with us—both physically and spiritually. We see many examples of this in Scripture: Moses and Joshua, Paul and Timothy, Jesus and the disciples.
This is why I get fired up about fitness. It’s not simply about the stewardship of the outward strength we’ve been given; it’s about the lessons God teaches us along that stewardship journey!
So rather than being consumed with a number on the scale or size on the waistband, I want to encourage you to find new ways to steward your body for God’s glory this year and look for the lessons He teaches you in the process.
The outward act of stewarding our bodies well will lead us to love God better with our hearts, souls, and minds. The purpose of health and fitness is so that we can better live and serve the Lord, honoring and loving Him with all our strength so we can outwardly love others as Christ first loved us. May we practice stewardship in the new year.
ABOUT JULIANA WILSON
Juliana Wilson is the social media marketing strategist for Lifeway Women and serves as an emcee for Lifeway Women Live. She is passionate about encouraging women and girls to dig into God’s Word and pursue an active relationship with Christ daily. Juliana loves Instagram-worthy ice cream, coffee dates, and traveling with her husband, Ben. Look for them on NBC’s hit obstacle course show: American Ninja Warrior and American Ninja Warrior All-Star Couple’s Special!
