Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Sport or Fitness (02/15/07)
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TITLE: Stop The Madness! Pass the Oreos | Previous Challenge Entry
By RuthAnn Cornelson
02/22/07 -
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Do you know your BMI or BFI? What? You don’t even know what those acronyms stand for?!! Let me enlighten you: BMI – Body Mass Index, BFI – Body Fat Index. If you didn’t recognize the acronym, you probably don’t know your vital indexes. In that case I have found the perfect website for you - BodyFatDirectory.com. Can you believe that?! Isn’t the Internet a marvelous thing! It might be impossible for you to get really physically fit until you know your BMI and BFI, so be sure to visit the Body Fat Directory to find out what you need to do to get in perfect shape.
ENOUGH! STOP THE MADNESS!!! Pass the Oreos and let me grab a cup of coffee and see if we can put this in some perspective. Ah, that’s better. Does it seem like we’ve possiby gone a bit over-board in the quest for physical fitness and perfection?
We know that our bodies are important and we need to look after them. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 6:19,20, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (NIV)
These verses are often used to encourage us not smoke or drink to excess, to exercise and eat correctly in order to keep our body fit and healthy to better serve the Lord. That is all good and right. We have a responsibility to be good stewards of all that God has given us, including our own bodies.
But, there are two sides to this coin. We are not only our physical bodies; we are spiritual beings as well. Although we should take care of our physical bodies we have a higher, more important duty to correctly feed and care for our spiritual selves. “Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.” (I Tim 4:7b,8 NLT)
If you feel a little too excited after reading those verses because they seem to give you an out for exercising, look again – “physical exercise has some value”. It does not say we can omit exercise altogether. Now that’s unfortunate, isn’t it? So, here’s the deal, do them both; just make sure you keep the emphasis on what matters the most. Don’t get too caught up in what society is telling us is so important – how we look, how fit we are. Remember, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Rom.12:2aNLT)
Spend at least as much time on letting God change the way you think as you do on changing the way you look and feel. One good way to let God change the way you think is to follow the example of the man in Psalm 1:2, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.” (NIV )
So read God’s Word, concentrate on Him and His place in your life, eat healthfully and exercise, and enjoy an Oreo with a cup of coffee now and then. Life is good!
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