I started thinking a week or so ago about my health and my weight. I am a youth pastor, so how does the way I take care of my body effect the way people view my ministry? I know that the focus should be on the eternal versus the temporal (1 Tim. 4:7-8) but I believe I should start taking better care of the body (or temple if you will '1 Cor. 6:19') that God has entrusted to me. I am horrible about eating what I want and trading exercise for slothful, self indulgent behavior; this certainly does not lead to the godliness that Paul was telling Timothy to focus on. What message am I sending my children, my wife, my youth and the families of the Church, or the lost, about the importance of being good stewards of what we have been given? If it isn't important to me, will it be important to them? It is no secret that not exercising and not eating right leads to bad health, disease and loss of quality of life. I think it is time that I start realizing this now and do my part to be a good steward of my own body so that I may teach others the importance of doing this as well. If we have to chose between bodily exercise which profits a little 'or' godliness that profits eternal, I will take the godliness every time. But who says we have to chose? I think Paul was saying that both are good, just don't let the former outweigh or cause you to lose sight of the latter! Now is the time to change!
In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23(NASB)
