Let's get Physical!
These six principles from God's Word will help you get your body in good shape. 
by Rick Warren

Living here in America, sometimes it's hard to know whether or not you're in good shape physically. With super-sized meals on the one hand and super-skinny Hollywood on the other, no wonder we're confused! So how do you know if you're in shape? I ran across these four statements; they're funny, but they actually serve as a good test of health:

• You know you're out of shape when you feel like "the morning after" and you didn't go anywhere the night before.
  
• You know your body's in trouble when your knees buckle and your belt won't.
  
• You know you're in trouble when you see your friends running and you hope they twist an ankle.
  
• You know you're in trouble when you breathe harder walking up a set of stairs than you do when you hold your sweetheart's hand.

Do any of these statements sound a little too familiar to you? If so, it's probably time for you to get physical - to start paying attention to your physical health. When you feel bad physically, it affects everything else. Shakespeare said it's hard to be a philosopher with a toothache. I say it's hard to be spiritually alert when you're physically dull, tired, or out of shape.

A lot of people think of the Bible as just a spiritual book, but it actually addresses our emotional health and physical health too. In Proverbs 4:20-22 Solomon says, ". Pay attention to . my words . for they are . health to a man's whole body." (NIV) These six principles from God's Word will help you get your body in good shape.

1. Maintain your ideal weight.

When Yankee Stadium was rebuilt, the new building had 9,000 fewer seats than the original. They had to add three inches to every chair because Americans' posteriors have grown so large. I realize there are many medical reasons for weight problems, but many of us just eat too much. You can't eat everything you want to eat and still maintain your ideal weight. You can find your ideal weight in any number of different books and online calculators. Use one of those calculators and talk to your doctor about how much you should weigh. Then heed the words of 1 Thessalonians 4:4: "Each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable." (NIV)

2. Balance your diet.

I used to be on a see-food diet. If I saw it, I ate it. I've known other people on balanced diets - with a hamburger in each hand! But we need real balance. In 1 Corinthians 6:12-13, Paul says: ". 'Everything is permissible for me' - but I will not be mastered by anything. 'Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food' - but God will destroy them both. ." (NIV) Eating is not an end in itself. We eat to live, but we shouldn't live to eat.

The Bible has plenty of nutritional advice too. Leviticus 3:17 warns people not to eat animal fat. Even though humans didn't know about cholesterol, God did - and he knew eating fatty foods would increase it. Proverbs 25:27 warns of eating too much sugar. The words are thousands of years old, but they sound like pages from today's health books.

3. Commit to a regular exercise program.

I've discovered that, when it comes to exercise, most of us are convinced but not committed. 1 Timothy 4:8 says, "Physical exercise has some value." (NLT) When the Bible was written, people were very active - walking everywhere and earning their living through physical labor. If Paul wrote that today, he'd likely change it to say that exercise has great value. The fact is, your body was designed for activity. Even a daily walk will make a difference. Don't make the mistake of overdoing it at first. Commit to a regular exercise program that you can maintain long-term.

4. Get enough sleep and rest

Psalm 127:2 says, "In vain you rise early and stay up late." (NIV) At the end of that same verse, The Living Bible says, "God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest." Rest is so important that God even put it in the Ten Commandments; he said every seventh day you rest. Jesus, in Mark 6:30-32, insisted that his disciples take a vacation. He said, "Let's get away from the crowds for a while and rest." (NLT)

Get the rest you need. Don't rise early and stay up late. I think one of the real enemies of health is late-night television. It leaves you worn out the next day. So make sure you're budgeting your time wisely to get enough rest and sleep.

5. Reduce or avoid drinking alcohol.

A cover article of Newsweek a few years ago declared that America is sobering up as health-conscious consumers decide alcohol is unhealthy or downright dangerous. At the same time, though, the U.S. Department of Health ranked alcoholism as the third-greatest health problem in America, next to heart disease and cancer. American culture today reflects the words of Ephesians 5:18: "Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit." (TEV)

6. Live in harmony with God.

Our emotions have a tremendous effect on our physical health, just like our physical health has a tremendous effect on our emotions. Proverbs 14:30 says, "A heart at peace gives life to the body." (NIV) What is peace of mind? It comes from two things: a clear conscience and a purpose for living. When you have those two things, your health is going to improve.

When God saves you, he wants to make you whole - spiritually, but also physically, emotionally, mentally, and socially. Once you've invited Jesus Christ into your life, ask God's Spirit to help you have self-control. Then determine to take care of your whole self. As the Bible says in Romans 12:1, ". Make a decisive dedication of your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God." (Amplified Bible)