Just Do It!

Dan.1:^15-16 “At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.”

The Bible further tells us in Dan.1:²⁰ that, “Whenever the king consulted them [that is, Daniel and his friends] in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom” (emphasis added).

Yesterday, we discussed four huge spiritual benefits of engaging the physical challenge of ensuring that our bodies are well taken care of as God’s instrument of worship and as our duty in discipleship. You wake up every morning, you worship and then you do about fifteen to twenty minutes of exercise. Why? Remember, it is the little things that no one sees that makes the big difference that everybody wants. For some other people, the cereal they will eat in the morning is by their bedside. As soon as they wake up, they say, ‘thank You Jesus’ and straight to the bowl of cereal. Those cereals, that habit, is going to make the big difference that nobody wants.

Body care requires immediate sacrifice for delayed benefits. Meanwhile, indulgence has immediate benefits for delayed consequences. The truth is people who indulge are going to face the consequences. Eat all you can eat; you may be enjoying it now, but you will definitely face the consequences. Body care is not just about weight and appearance, it is about building character. This is our constant challenge. God wants to build your character. When you can keep your body in good shape, it affects your finances. If you cannot keep your body in shape, you are going to struggle with your finances. Your mind is probably going over a list of the fat rich people that you know right now. So, my question to you is, who says because they are fat, they are not fit? Some fat people are fitter than some slim people. Being fat does not mean lack of fitness and being slim does not mean fitness. Some slim people are very unfit.

What is it going to be for you? Body care is about character building, and it helps your parenting. You will have more energy to play with your children. Some people just want to get rid of their children because they see them as pests. They do not say it but that is what they are thinking. God will forgive them. The real problem is their energy level is too low to match up with the energy level of their children. When your body is in top shape, you can run around with your children. When they are active, you can engage them instead of sending them to the neighbour’s house to play – cheap copout. Many children have been abused because they have been sent to the neighbour’s house to play because of low energy level.

Your child wants to engage you mentally, but you are tired. The boy has gone on Google and is turning to you for guidance, but you are unable to engage him because you are mentally tired. When you are physically fit it helps your finances, it helps your parenting, and it helps your marriage. Sausage will be hot and sizzling! There will be no story of headache or body pain.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, teach me to care for my body daily, in Jesus Name. Amen!