With the dizzying array of “recommended” diet plans being touted these days, how do you decide which is best for you? Is it low carb or low fat; dairy- free or gluten-free; macrobiotic or simply organic; vegan or vegetarian (what exactly is the difference?); cleansing, detoxifying, juicing or fasting? With so many choices, how do you decide?
What about exercise? How about “P90x?” If you’re short on time, you could try “10-Minute Abs” or “The Five-Minute Workout?” Of course there is always Yoga, “Zoomba,” aerobics, line dancing and personal trainer videos, to name just a few. And don’t forget the endless list of home fitness gadgets and gizmos including “The Gazelle,” “Crossfit,” “Bowflex,” “Teeter Hang Ups,” and, get this one: “The Hawaii Chair,” whose motto is “If you can sit, you can get fit.” Believe it or not, there is even something called the “Facial Flex Exercise and Toning Kit” — with a close competitor known as “The Facial Trainer,” which looks a lot like the mask Hanibal Lecter wore in the movie, “Silence of the Lambs.”
It seems our appetite for the latest fad diet, and our commitment to finding that magical exercise program that will give us a body like Stallone in 10 days, in minutes a day, is unlimited. For example, a national newscast recently reported that a California pastor is “so committed to fitness that he’s now working out while delivering his sermons!” Yes, it’s true. He has a treadmill in the pulpit! He explained that he is leading by example, and is hopeful others will join him in not just getting physically fit, but spiritually fit.
The apostle Paul essentially said the same thing, when he wrote (1 Timothy 4:7-8 NLT) “…train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”
I know there are a lot of “programs” out there that promote unbelievable results in days and have pictures to prove it. But I’ve discovered from experience, that getting or keeping physically fit requires some hard work and commitment. Learning to think … to be like Jesus doesn’t just happen because we spend a few hours in church occasionally, it comes when we choose to spend time with Jesus.
by : Larry A. Attig, Pastor, Melbourne / FL First Church of the Nazarene