Exercising the Body and Mind for Spiritual Growth
Exercise is one of the most explored and talked about subjects in our media today. Rarely a day goes by when you won’t find a new study being revealed about how exercise does or does not help people lose weight, how much is too little, how much is too much, how many minutes you need at what intensity to lose weight and become fit, how often you should do it, which exercises you can do safely, etc. With so much information and misinformation available you really have to sort through it carefully, and use some common sense along the way.
One thing most experts do agree upon is that exercise helps keep our brains more active by producing new neurons in the hippocampus (the center of learning and memory in the brain). Endorphins are released during exercise, which can lower stress and pain levels, and exercise has also been shown to help elevate mood in people with mild depression. All these benefits help promote a healthy mind that is more receptive to learning when we are studying the scriptures.
Does the Bible say anything about exercising the body?
Yes. Paul says in I Timothy 4:8 "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." (KJV)
This scripture reminds us that while bodily exercise benefits us, it is much more beneficial to focus on living a godly life, and that we reap the rewards of living a godly life not only while on this earth, but also in the after life. We should not place physical fitness above our spiritual fitness!
There is no direct command in the Bible that requires us to do physical exercise. However, we are told that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost – it does not belong to us – and we are to glorify God in our body and our spirit:
I Cor. 6:19,20 (KJV)(19) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?(20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Although the context of this scripture is referring specifically to sexual immorality (I Cor. 6:18)1, we see that any sin against the body would be a sin against “the temple of the Holy Ghost”. That includes gluttony (Philippians 3:19)2, as well as being a drunkard (I Cor. 6:10)3.
The apostle Paul said:
I Cor. 9:27 (KJV) But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
We see that physical exercise can benefit our body and mind (including memory), but how can we exercise our mind to promote spiritual growth?
By reading and studying the scriptures daily! We are told to study and discern the truth (II Tim. 2:15)4, being ready always to give an answer to every man that asks the reason of the hope that is in us (I Peter 3:15)5. That is, we should be able to say what we believe and why we believe it and be able to back it up with scripture. The Bereans were commended for searching the scriptures daily to see if what they were being told was true (Acts 17:11)6, and we should follow their example so that we can stay spiritually healthy and share The Word with others.
Note:
We don’t all have great abilities to memorize, but if we made the effort to memorize one passage of scripture a week it wouldn’t be long before we could quote scripture without hesitation. What is more important, though, is that we know where to look in the Bible to find answers. Use a concordance to help you in your Bible study, as well as commentaries if you can find the resources. If you have internet access then a wonderful website for reference material can be found at: http://bible.cc This site can be used as a concordance with the scripture being shown in King James Version as well as others. But even if the only reference material you have is your Bible, you can still search the scriptures daily to facilitate your spiritual growth.
1 I Cor. 6:18 (KJV) Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
2 Phil. 3:19 (KJV) Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
3 I Cor. 6:10 (KJV) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
4 II Tim. 2:15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
5 I Peter 3:15 (KJV) But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
6 Acts 17:11 (KJV) These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
