 As disciples of Jesus, we are called to be good stewards of these bodies that have been given to us "on loan from God." In fact, studies of pastors and church leaders have repeatedly demonstrated the clear connections between our level of physical fitness and our capacity for effective, long-term Kingdom impact.1
One of the best biblical illustrations of this truth can be found in 1 Kings 19, which records the prophet Elijah's encounter with the Lord at Mt. Horeb. Following his courageous confrontation with King Ahab and the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel (1 Ki 18), which had to be one of the most exhilarating AND exhausting ministry assignments in human history, Elijah finds himself running for his life, wanting to die (19:3-4). He was literally scared to death!
What happened? How does a mighty man of God suddenly turn into a paranoid, depressed, suicidal basket case? The answer becomes clear when we pay close attention to the Lord's counsel to Elijah in the midst of this crisis. The first three things that the Lord prescribes for Elijah as a remedy for his condition are, you guessed it, a good meal, a good night's sleep, and a good workout (19:5-8). It was only after Elijah had received this gift of physical refreshment from the Lord that he was able to experience the blessings of spiritual and vocational renewal as well (19:9-18). According to the God of the Bible, then, the One who formed us and knows us better then we know ourselves, three of the most critical disciplines we can and should practice if we hope to survive the enormous challenges and constant stress of public ministry are: eating right, sleeping well and exercising regularly.
If you would like to explore this topic further, or if you are sensing the need to make some adjustments in this area of your life, I would invite you to begin by taking a few minutes to review the PowerPoint presentation attached below. I would also encourage you to visit my friend, Dave Nixon's website where you will find some great ideas on how to care for yourself while you are caring for others.
1See Spiritual Wholeness for Clergy by Donald Hands and Wayne Fehr (Alban Institute, 1993). |
Spirituality & Physical Fitness |