Intentionally exercising

Exercising has never been one of my strengths. So when the doctors told me to exercise daily as part of the recovery process, I decided to go for a casual walk each day.

My “casual” exercise got shattered a few weeks ago when the doctor informed me that I had to get my heart rate up. If I wanted to recover, I needed to exercise with a whole heart, not just walk so I could check exercise off my list for the day.

As I’ve been forcing myself to exercise more intentionally, I’ve been thoroughly blessed. It pays to work at something rather than just going through the motions.

My conversation with the doctor (and the resulting exercise) has got me thinking about spiritual exercise. So often, I approach walking with the Lord like I was walking–in order to check a box. I may be reading the Bible, but I’m not really digging in, searching for God’s wisdom and heart. Yet the rewards of truly exercising ourselves for godliness are ever so much greater than those even of physical exercise. In fact, they’re priceless.

“For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8

– christian perspective