“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” Philippians 1:20 (NIV)
Last week I made a commitment to intentionally move for thirty minutes each day. My life as a pastor is by nature sedentary with hours of study, writing, and back-to-back meetings each day. I coach football and baseball in the evenings depending on the season and that helps to get me moving. The Lord has convicted me of my need to move daily. As a result, I have become intentional about going to our church’s Family Life Center in order to get on the treadmill and to spend some time in the weight room. I vary my approach by taking our dog for a brisk walk early in the mornings or playing racquetball with friends. This morning I went on an engaging mountain bike ride for an hour on nearby trails. That was fun!
Your body is made to move. God rewards the movement. Your body is designed by God and for God. Christ is exalted in your body when you intentionally embrace beneficial activities. Paul demonstrated an unrelenting pursuing of exalting Christ in his body. Paul oriented his life to bring honor to Jesus both in conversation and in conduct. He chose to live in such a way as to not be ashamed to bear the name of Jesus.
Is Christ being exalted in your body? What do you need to start doing in order to ensure physical health and to take care of the body God has given you? Will you join me by choosing to move thirty minutes each day? Go for a walk in your neighborhood. Join a local fitness center. Invite others to join you in the process and exalt Christ in your body.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell