1 Corinthians 6

God is interested in the total person. Yes, He cares about your spirit and soul. But He’s also interested in your body. The Bible says, “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Your spirit and your soul and your body.

See, when your spirit is right, you are holy; when your soul is right you are happy; and your body is right, you are healthy. A perfectly tuned person is holy, happy, and healthy. Most family members are unholy, unhappy, and unhealthy. They are out of whack. They aren’t what God really intended for us to be.

Yet, when Paul said “blameless” in body, that doesn’t mean we will have perfect health. We won’t have that until we get to heaven. And there are a number of reasons we have physical ailments. There is a curse upon all creation (Romans 5:12). We may be sick because we have violated God’s moral law. Every kick has a kickback. Every sin fascinates, and then it assassinates (1 Corinthians 11:29). Or we might be facing satanic attack (Job 2:6). And sometimes we are under the discipline of God (Ps 119:17).

But many times our sickness is due to breaking God’s natural laws. We do things to ourselves that we know cannot be good – like poisoning our bodies with nicotine, overindulging in unhealthy foods, and always living under too much stress. Somehow we just want God to give us a pass to go ahead and violate His natural laws and remain well – or we ask Him to heal us while we continue to do the things that will make us sick!

God wants us to honor, serve, and glorify Him with our bodies. Therefore, what you believe about being fit – and what you teach your family about fitness – is very important. Because when you naturally, willingly violate the laws that God has laid down in the Bible, then you run the risk of  becoming a burden to yourself and burden to your family. If this happens, then there’s a chance your family will become burden to other people as well.

So let us see four principles for family fitness:

1. DISCIPLINE
   First, family fitness is a matter of discipline. We can’t call ourselves disciples if we aren’t disciplined. And family members need to be disciplined in matters of diet and the things that we eat. The Bible says, “Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
   
2. DISPOSITION
   Second, family fitness is a matter of disposition. Hardening of the attitudes, is just as bad as hardening of the arteries. Proverbs says, “Better is dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.” (1 Corinthians 15:17) You can choose your thoughts. You can choose your emotions. And healthy emotions are a boon to your body.
   
3. DEVOTION
   Third, family fitness is a matter of devotion. When family serve God they will be healthier. Fear of the Lord adds years to life. (Proverbs 10:27) And scientific research backs up what common sense has told for years: that churchgoers live longer and feel happier than those who say they don’t believe in God.
   
4. DECISION
   Finally, family fitness is a matter of decision. If you know all there is to know about physical health and you don’t make any decisions, so what? Sit down as family and talk about how you are going to serve the Lord with your bodies. Together, ask these questions: What is this we are eating? What is this we are doing? What is this we are thinking? Are we going to continue to live this way? Or, are we going to decide as family to be dedicated to fitness so that we might be testimony to our neighbors and those around us?

CONCLUSION
Oh, dear families, we ought to be different. Our families ought to stand out in matters of faith and in matters of fitness! Make sure your family understands that, as Christians, our bodies are not our own. We are the indwelling place of the God’s Holy Spirit! That’s why God has commanded us to glorify Him in our body, as well as in our spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) And you can work together as a family, helping each other to joyfully obey this command.