Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it. Psalm 139:14 TLB
Do you know anyone who takes better care of their vehicle than they do themselves? We once had a friend who was obsessed with his big Harley Davidson. I will admit, it was as beautiful as a motorcycle could get, and our friend was all about protecting it. He was always proud to say he purchased it brand new and that it was “one fine machine.” If you stood with him for a few minutes, he would recite all the defining details of the bike. He was constantly rubbing off fingerprints, wouldn’t drive it in bad weather, was meticulous about changing oil and all the regular checkups. You would almost think the Harley was human, to hear him talk about it.
But this guy didn’t value or treat himself in the same way. He looked far older than his years, had been out of shape for decades, and was personally distinguished by hard drinking, smoking three packs a day, sitting hours on the weekend in a chair under the tree (when he wasn’t washing or riding his bike) He didn’t visit the doctor for check-ups – his opinion was, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” So, he didn’t. And when he finally started to think that perhaps he did need a little care, it was too late. Trouble was already underway. He had to sell his bike eventually. My friend had to focus on simply staying alive, not riding.
I don’t know what his rest schedule was, but given everything else, it probably wasn’t a bragging point. God has given us ways to take care of our bodies, our most valuable possession outside of our soul/spirit, and rest and exercise are two primary ones, besides what we put into our bodies. Our habits and addictions; our rest and exercise have an impact on our quality and length of life.
I remember an evangelist who came to the college I attended when I was a student there. At the time, he was in his 80s, distinguished as a great pastor, author, Asbury Seminary President, and many other achievements. He was the speaker for our college revival that week, but he requested that he be able to do something else as well. We were mostly ministerial students there, and he knew that the fast-paced, pressurized lives we likely would lead could easily distract us from caring for our bodies. He was a lifelong health and fitness practitioner. I will never forget seeing this elderly man pumping weights, lifting barbells, doing physical feats on the platform while he talked about the privilege of our wonderfully complex bodies, and called us to care for them as well as possible. I remember him saying, “You don’t want to appear before Jesus a day before He planned simply because you didn’t care for your magnificent machine.” He learned to waterski when he was 87, and was active in hunting, fishing, and other vigorous exercise until his death at 94 after suffering a stroke a few days earlier. Good word, Dr. McPheeters. Your spiritual, mental, relational, and physical health were all aligned.
- God, what do You want to say to me about my fitness? Speak, Lord. I’m listening.