Editor’s Note: My former student Karly Weed recently wrote a social media post discussing physical health and beauty as they pertain to the many other goals in life. I was struck in her comments about the wisdom in her words. Below you will find her post and a few additional comments as I contemplated her response.
Health, Fitness, & Life’s Purpose – Not Simply ‘How You Look’
Your loved ones don’t want you here for your body, they want you here for who you are. This has been the thought on my mind for the last couple of days…
I’ve never heard anyone talk about a lost loved one, or someone who is nearing their physical end, and focus on their body. You don’t hear, “She had amazing abs, and never gained weight!” or “He was shaped like a Dorito! Back goals.”
What you do hear is how much they loved your presence, your personality, your humor, the memories you made, the laughs you shared, the experiences, the life you lived with no inhibitions.
Your people want you here for who you are, not what you look like. You are so loved, and worth so much more than your physical body.
When you look back at your life, and reminisce, you don’t look back at how you looked, you look back at the cherished memories and moments. You look back at the spontaneous trips with friends, passions and hobbies, watching your children grow up and being there for them as they navigate life, caring for your grandchildren, and the friendships you discovered…
Caring for your body doesn’t have to mean looking a certain way. Maybe it can mean being able to live a little longer, share more time with the people you love, laugh a little more, be independent for more of your life, and be free from limitations set on us by old age and media. Fitness and health are not something you do for a passing moment of happiness when you look in the mirror. It’s being able to enjoy life and loved ones a little longer and with more freedom possibly. It’s building a life that you can share, and building a life that you can look back and smile about. It’s building a life that starts now.
Pursue Health for the Right Reasons
Karly gets it right. Should we have some concern for our health, the way we eat, and exercise? Yes.
The Apostle Paul tells Timothy, “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Tim 4:8). Exercise does profit. No, it does not have any eternal value; however, I think that is the nuance Karly captures above. Although exercise profits little, an awareness of one’s health, fitness, and diet may open the door for opportunities of godliness. In other words, a little exercise may in fact provide the opportunity to do those things with eternal value.
Thanks Karly!
She nails it. When you die, someone may make a comment about your looks or weight or how much you loved ice cream. However, none of those things matter. Those statements will be side comments if anything. What you will care about as you get closer to death and what others will share with each other after you die focuses instead on you as one in the image of God.
- What impact did you make on others?
- Did you encourage others to love Jesus and people more?
- What memories have you left?
- Did you invest in people?
- Would people say they follow Jesus with better passion, clarity, and knowledge as a result of your life, your time, and your values?
These questions only get us started.
We All Live for Something
We all live for something. For the Christian, our lives are to be arranged around Jesus and the family of God – passionate followers of Christ together. However, our lives can be arranged around something different, such that the energy God gives us every day can be used on many things which do not profit the kingdom of God, do not encourage our growth in Christlikeness, and do not honor God. This can be just as true for hobbies of every sort, sports of every kind, and our vocations as it is for an awareness of our physical health. As people we tend to chase idols.
Therefore, as Karly strongly implies, live for God’s kingdom purposes while maintaining a care for your physical health, but do it for the right reasons. As you contemplate your daily health, fitness, and dietary goals, recognize that good stewardship of these things may help you be a better steward of the many blessings given to you by God. With a little effort in these areas, you may be able to better love God supremely through your desires to honor Him in everything and love others sincerely by your increased opportunities both now and potentially in the future.
Thanks Karly for the timely reminder.
Image credit: Screen Capture
Karly’s original post here.
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