By Tom Wilson, Fitness Coach

To live longer and live better we must be active. God’s intent for us to sustain health through activity is obvious in the way He designed out bodies. The sequence goes something like this:

1. Muscular contraction and relaxation (movement) forces the heart to circulate blood throughout the body.
2. The blood delivers nutrients and oxygen throughout the body and carries away metabolic poisons and waste products.  Without regular muscular activity, circulation is hindered and the blood is unable to adequately do its job.
3. When circulation is hindered, cellular metabolism, cellular rebuilding and healing are all impaired.
4. Over time, this leads to premature degenerative changes within the tissue.

In simple terms, your body begins to break down more rapidly than it should. Your mental acuity is compromised. Aches and pains serve as daily distractions which all add up to seriously hinder your ability to serve God, resist temptation and enjoy life as He intended. God doesn’t want you to just live longer and live better. He wants you to enjoy life to the fullest. If fact, the Bible says He wants you to enjoy life abundantly:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”.
John 10:10 (New American Standard Bible)

Doesn’t it make sense that if you’re going to enjoy life to this extent it would be beneficial to have abundant health as well? Could you enjoy life more if your knees didn’t hurt or your back didn’t ache all the time? Would you enjoy your kids more if you had the energy to be active with them? Would your marriage be more satisfying if you could enjoy activities together rather than just laying around on the weekends? Wouldn’t each day be more enjoyable if you slept better and could think more clearly throughout the day?

Without physical activity, you feel tired and run down and simply can’t function at the level God desires. This neglect of our health not only steals our joy, but it opens the door for Satan’s attacks. Who do you think Satan would rather attack, someone who is strong and feeling energized with a strong mental acuity or someone who is tired and run down?

The bottom line is our exercise and eating habits are essential to living longer, living better, enjoying life abundantly and being physically prepared to serve others whenever God calls us to do so.

So if you’re struggling with The Daniel Plan or your dedication is fading, remember to keep God at the center of this adventure. He gave us free will which means we can choose to ignore our health or embrace it. Choose health. He provided us with bodies designed for activity and when we use His design as intended, our health and our lives are enhanced.

Being healthy requires a certain discipline which God requires in both the physical and the spiritual. It’s all tied together and it leads to health and life!

Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health.   You restore my health and allow me to live!
Isaiah 38:16  (NLT)