(I thought this would be useful to re-post in light of the new “MUMs” group at Trinity. I also ran today for the first time in a while, so my mind went to this subject of endurance.)
There is great value to physical exercise for Christians. I have heard these arguments before about taking care of you body, and the advantages to exercise, and while those things are true there is one lesson that I have been learning that I think should be highlighted. Physical exercise trains us in the concept of endurance. If you have set out to run a mile, and you get half way through and you don’t feel like you can make it, all of the sudden you are in an endurance situation. What are you going to do? Start walking? Take a break? Push through?
We talk a lot about Spiritual endurance as a church. We take Jesus’ words seriously, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). We also talk about enduring trials and difficulties. We know that all who live Godly will experience difficulties. We know that we are not promised a “bed of roses” Christian experience. This world is fallen, and it is filled with sin which makes being a Christian very difficult. Things are constantly coming into your life that are testing your endurance. Are you enduring with joy?
Physical exercise is a means through which we can learn how to endure difficulty. Physical exercise is a picture of your Spiritual life. If you are like me, in the middle of exercising your minds fills up with thoughts that are saying that it is no big deal if I quit. “No one really cares if I finish this run or not.” I am not saying that you need to finish a 20 minute run in order to go to heaven. I am saying that through physical exercise you can build a mentality and pattern of endurance in your life. If you quit in all the other areas of your life, what would make you think that you will be able to endure in your Christian life? Enduring in physical exercise builds a mentality of endurance through difficulty and pain. I think this can be used as we seek to become people that are characterized by endurance, not just physical endurance, but also Spiritual.
There are obvious other benefits to exercise, but I just want to challenge you to be a person that is seeking to endure comprehensively. Physical exercise is God’s gift to us that teaches us how endure. Let’s use this gift to train in endurance, and glorify God.
