Once upon a time there was a guy who was physically active. He worked out three, sometimes four times a week, enjoyed pick up basketball and tennis on the weekends and because, in his early twenties, he still had the metabolism of a teenager, didn't really think too much about what he ate. No matter how much or what kind of food he put down his gullet, it just didn't seem to impact his weight or his health. Then everything changed. He got married, began to eat three large square meals a day (often more), kids came along, work schedules became more demanding, the daily commute became longer. In short, life took over.
Exercise? It gradually got tossed aside. There was just too many other pressing concerns. Physical fitness, staying in shape; that was just one of those self-indulgences that a family man, a primary bread winner, had to sacrifice.
Jump forward sixteen years. Eighty pounds heavier, sitting in a doctors office breathing heavily as he struggled to bend over and tie his shoes, the distance he had fallen hit hard. Having been diagnosed as obese with borderline high blood pressure and high cholesterol, teetering on the edge of adult onset diabetes and having just been warned by his doctor that if he continued on this path he would be dead by 65 or even earlier, it finally occurred to this guy that maybe he shouldn't have considered exercise, staying in shape, a throw away activity after all.
And then, being a Christian, this guy began to think about where he had let his physical health slide in spiritual terms. Maybe, he realized, in his desire to sacrifice for his family and his career, he was actually robbing himself, and his family, his Church and even his God of the healthier, more energetic, happier person he could and should have been. Maybe he was robbing his wife, his children and his grandchildren of years of time which he could have given them had it not been cut short because of poor physical health. Maybe by selflessly not focusing a little more on himself, he was actually being quite selfish.
So, he began to make some changes. He started making physical exercise a priority. It was a difficult transition at first, not only for himself physically, but for his family. Taking time to exercise meant he was taking an hour or so in the evenings, two to three times a week, away from them. Dinner schedules were disrupted, some responsibilities needed to be adjusted. There were a few stressful conversations between this man and his wife, who although recognizing her husbands steady physical decline over the years and the need for change, nevertheless was annoyed at some of the inconvenience his determination to claw his way back to health was causing her.
But as his weight came down, his energy increased, his mood improved and concerns about diabetes, heart attack or stroke subsided, she recognized the good that had resulted from his being selfish. She recognized that the time he was taking for himself was allowing him to give much more of himself back to her and the kids, not only now but perhaps for many more years than might have previously been available to him. And though she still grumbled from time to time, she lovingly encouraged him to keep up the battle.
In I Timothy 4:6 Paul writes to Timothy "For bodily exercise profits little: but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."
It's easy to read the King James and conclude that exercise has little or no value for the Christian. But that was not at all what Paul was communicating. The Greek word for little here is "oligos" which refers to degree or intensity. Paul was simply stating that in comparison to the importance of seeking to grow in godliness, the desire to grow in physical health pales in significance because the benefits of godliness reach far beyond this life.
The New Living Translation puts it more accurately.
"Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come."
Paul, of course, had his own physical limitations, as do we all. He had a "thorn" in the flesh which many believe was some kind of physical impairment that gave him difficulty in ministry. But regardless of disability, he didn't use it as an excuse for not taking care of his temple. Though he doesn't directly state it, his letters are filled with analogies and lessons drawn from the world of athletics and fitness which draw a clear picture of the important connection between the pursuit of physical health and spiritual growth. We are to "...fight the good fight", "...box not as one beating the air", "...run that we might gain the crown", "...wrestle not against flesh and blood."
Nowhere does he write "lay on the couch that we might wait for the Kingdom."
The conclusion we can take from Paul's analogies between the physical and spiritual can and should be applied both ways. Just as our spiritual health impacts our physical actions, so endeavoring to take care of our physical health contributes a great deal to our spiritual growth and well-being. After all, it's difficult to lay down your life for your brother if it takes all of your energy to just get out of bed in the morning.
It's silly to argue that setting aside time from our busy lives for prayer and Bible study is an exercise in selfishness. The same is true, it could and should be argued, for taking care of this physical temple.
Oh, about that guy clawing his way back from the brink of physical disaster? He's still clawing, still lugging around some unwanted poundage, but steadily making progress. But the story doesn't end there. His wife caught the fitness bug too. Now, two or three times a week he arrives home at night, finding that she has gone to the gym or hit the road for a bike ride, leaving him and the kids to leftovers from the microwave. It's a little annoying at times, but overall it brings a smile to his face. She's more active and more energetic than ever. And those tight bike shorts she sports around the house from time to time...well, 'nough said. Most of all, though, he loves the fact that she loves him enough to be a little selfish.
PostScript: If you doubt any part of this guy's story is true, just ask his wife. She edits his blog every week before it's published. So if it wasn't, you wouldn't be reading it. And, though a little embarrassed, she even let him keep the part about the tight bike shorts. :-)