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| Women's Health Ministry |
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Deuteronomy 4: 12, 15 Exercise Motives for Success ..... "you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form, only a voice..... so watch yourselves carefully, since you did not see any form on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire. (paraphrased)
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God
set an example by not giving us a physical form to worship, just His
voice. So we could worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:24
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and
truth" Let's build on this thought as we read into chapter 5: Deuteronomy 5:29 "But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and soul." We need healthy bodies to serve God fully, but we need to check our motives of our exercise and food choices. Is it to look better? Its it to be accepted? Is it because it's good for you? These aren't necessarily bad motives in themselves, but are they good enough motives to really be able to commit to a healthier lifestyle? When we make our main motive to honor God by taking care of the amazing bodies He gave us - yes, I said "amazing bodies"! No matter how we may feel about the shape or size of our bodies, every breath we take is a miracle as 100's of functions work together in harmony. Study just one DNA and be blown away by the perfection and complexity of design! Now let's tie these Scriptures into action by applying them in our lives: When we keep our heart and mind on God while we exercise we make it a form of worship to Him. So our focus is not on the physical form of our bodies, but on the spiritual and emotional connection we have with our Lord! Looking better and feeling better physically is a by-product of the sacrifice of taking the time and energy to exercise when we make our main goal to worship God. God gets the glory and we live a fuller, more productive life in a healthier body! Jesus offers us the mystery - the unseen gift - of an intimate relationship with Him. Draw closer to Him, search for Him with all your heart and soul and He will guide you into a healthier, happier lifestyle! You may be disappointed in the physical results of exercise and eating smartly at times, but you will never be disappointed in the "food" Jesus gives you! Rejoice and be glad for the health you have NOW. Rejoice and be glad for each day and what you can do - not on what you can't do! And tell yourself: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" One example in my life of making my exercise a form of worship is when I go for a run. This becomes a great time of prayer for me - often just talking to God out loud (luckily I get to run out in the country where no one can hear me!) and I usually end up with answers to many of my problems in life! Often I get revelation of an encouragement for someone as I pray for them..... exercise time is a great time to go down your prayer list! How about when you garden? Mow the lawn? Weed? Ride your bike? We would love to hear ways you do this in your lives! We will post your responses below.
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