“I discipline my body like an athlete.” 1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT

Physical exercise strengthens your immune system so that you can fight off heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, thyroid malfunction, impaired memory, and a host of maladies. The best kind of exercise is the one you like and is the most convenient. Here are the two biggest reasons we’re inconsistent in following an exercise program: first, we lose interest in it because we don’t get much satisfaction out of it. Second, it demands too much time or effort. Whether you go for a fast-moving walk or attend a high-energy fitness class, almost any physical activity will relax and re-energize your body. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, a minimum of five days a week. And the apostle Paul gives us the key to success in one word: discipline. “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should” (v. 27 NLT). Additionally, physical activity can help you to reduce stress, lose weight and keep it off, and feel better about yourself. If you can’t find time for an official workout, try gradually growing the activity into your lifestyle. Park farther away from the store so you have to take more steps to enter it. Walk up the stairs instead of riding the elevator. As a redeemed child of God, here is an all-important reason for staying physically fit: “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you…therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV). Prayer: “Father, help me to do some sort of physical activity regularly.”

The Word for You Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from Celebration Enterprises, Inc. Copyright © 2024