BY RICK WARREN
Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)
One of the ways we train for godliness is by maintaining our physical health. The truth is, your body was not designed for inactivity. God created you to be active. Even a daily walk will make a difference in your physical well-being and your spiritual well-being.
One thing I have noticed is that most of us are convinced but not committed. We know that exercise is good for us. We are convinced of that, but that doesn’t mean we are committed to exercise.
What is the common excuse? ‘I don’t have the time.’
Let me ask, do you have time to be sick? If you don’t make time for exercise, you’ll probably be forced to make time for an illness. Is that how you want to spend your time?
What is the common mistake? We overdo it at the start. We’ve been looking at how physical health will help us reach our destiny during the next decade. Some of you might have already said, “I’m going to get in shape if it kills me!”
We have the philosophy that if something is good, then more is better. We’ve been out of shape for several years, but then we try to get in shape in one week! And so we work ourselves to death, get totally exhausted and, as a result, we wear out quickly and give up.
The key is training not straining. If you want to get in shape fast, exercise longer, not harder. And that will help you stay committed to a consistent, regular exercise program.