The spiritual reason you should be working to physically improve your body was touched upon here, and it’s not just to look good naked. The argument is because your body is the physical house of God and it is the great commandment to maintain and improve your body “Love the Lord your God with all your heart (body), mind, and soul” (Matthew 22:35).
Several men in scripture are offered as examples of men that “…found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”(Genesis 6:8). Among these men are Jesus, Daniel, and John. Meaning, in order to find favor from the Lord you must strive for physically fitness in your own life.
Looking at Daniel’s life it was tumultuous from the beginning and nothing was rooted in a pattern of consistency or modernity. When we open the book of Daniel we find Nebuchadnezzar reigning control of the lands that Daniel lives in. This change of leadership would, no doubt, bring an unprecedented level of change to many people’s lives. As the book continues Daniel is chosen to eventually serve the king and in doing so he will be provided food and drink from the King’s table. Daniel wisely rejects these things. Instead opting to continue the Lord’s diet requesting the head servant to, “Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.” (Daniel 1:12). At the end of ten days Daniel looked healthier and better nourished then the servants eating the royal food. Evidence that adhering to God’s great commandment and to love him with your body is shown when Daniel rejects the King’s prepared food and instead eats what God provides.
This situation is no different than the choices we can make in our modern lives. Consider the foods we can opt to consume today and whom is providing them: cakes, fried foods, sugared foods, processed, granulated, de-granulated, some “foods” constituted and reconstituted into some amorphous shape that once represented grain in the ground or seed from a tree. Then ask is this really what God wants me to consume?
Now, is sugar out of the question?
No of course not, John the Baptist shows that one can still find favor in God’s eyes even when you eat honey and your only clothing is a loincloth of camel hair. Which is his appearance described immediately upon our introduction to John (Matthew 3:4). Clearly he is a man that had no shame over his physical appearance. Due to his consumption of honey and protein only, and at the time honey was a luxury often not found. Now the question remains are we to eat locust ourselves to fulfill the great commandment for our bodies. No, we are still called to maintain our bodies in a way that that is pleasing to the Lord. John was who he was because he found complete satisfaction with what the Lord had given him: bugs to eat and a cave to sleep in. This man was physically imposing, and he could draw a crowd. He was unabashed in calling others vipers and liars, because he knew without a doubt the presence of the Lord in his mind, soul, and body.
The pathway to Jesus was paved by both Daniel and John’s actions with John’s fulfillment of prophecy seen in Isaiah 40:3. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ takes the reigns and knowing he was a tecton ’tekton’, a Greek word meaning laborer or builder. He too would be physically well built man. We know this for two reasons: because of his profession and because of his sacrifice. There is no doubt of his strength when we bears the brunt of all sin, torture and pain; still having the strength of will, character and mind to carry his own cross to the hill at Calvary. His abilities truly go beyond words. He endured the pain, devastation, humiliation and betrayal that lead to his ultimate sacrifice on the cross. There must be no doubt, that this is a physically fit man! Jesus the man that gave all he had for you died on the cross.
Truly, if this is the man you believe in as your Lord and savior and you aspire to live a more Christ-like life. Why do you neglect the body, why do you not follow God’s commandments? To do as Christ said is to fulfill the first and greatest commandment. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart (body), mind, and soul” (Matthew 22:35).
Thanks for reading.
-Kyle