Why I Do Fitness

The past few days I've just really been reflecting on why I do the things I do. Not like in a quarter-life crisis sort of panic where I'm trying to figure out my purpose, but just simply understanding my true motivation and passion. I've been talking it over with a dear friend of mine that I am so incredibly thankful to have found through my coach's team page. We were paired up at random to be accountability partners but I quickly realized it was not by chance at all. God hand-delivered to me the exact person I needed in my life, and I am forever grateful to be given the opportunity to know her. 

I've been talking through things with her because to us we do not want fitness to mean to look a certain way, to get to a certain weight, or to try and meet society's ideal standards. 

My one and true purpose for why I do health and fitness is not for myself, not for society, not for anyone else, but for God. 

I fully believe that physical health, mental health, and spiritual health all go hand-in-hand. God lovingly crafted me to be exactly as I am, imperfections and all. At least what I consider imperfections because to God, our bodies are all perfectly made. Our human nature is what gets in the way of seeing that. We are the ones, not God, to bring ourselves down with mean words, nit-picking, and focusing on our insecurities. 

My body is a temple and I believe I should treat it as such. It is a gift from God, this body and this life that I have. He didn't have to create me, love me, die for me. He chose to. And I had a come to Jesus moment where I made myself think about what is the point of throwing that all away for? Why bring myself down and nitpick things I don't like about my body when it is already perfect in God's image. For the approval of society? For the validation from others?

In all honesty, the opinion of anyone else doesn't matter because I know my true identity in God. I am His, I am a beloved child of God, and that is all the validation I need in life. God does not care if I have a thigh gap, the leanest abs, the tightest glutes, or capped shoulders. No, God sees my heart first and foremost. Physical health is important, yes, but there is a line between health and vanity.

I want to take care of my body because it is a vessel for God, and I want to respect my body as a creation of God and one He thought worth dying for.

I believe God has given us all different passions, talents, and gifts which makes the world a wonderfully diverse place. God gave me a passion for fitness, and I intend to use it. I love the phrase "Fitness is my witness to Christ" because everything I do, including fitness, I want to point to Jesus.

As I mentioned earlier, I have received so many blessings through my coach's group of clients, and by being a part of that wonderful community. If I didn't do fitness, I wouldn't have found my coach, and I would be missing out on all the blessings in my life right now. God has given me such wonderful and meaningful connections with amazing women through our mutual love of fitness. Maybe one day God will use my passion for health and fitness to bring others to Him. Through me and through what I do, someone might come to know Jesus. 

Everything that I have now has all come from God. Yes, I had to work every day and still work for my health and fitness, but without God none of it would be possible. He is my rock and strength, and I know that I can do all things through Him. I pray before my lifts and runs, I pray during, I pray after. It is my time with God, and I am constantly asking him for strength.

When people hear my story and see my transformation from the girl I used to be and who I am now, I don't want them to see anything other than God. I want them to see the evidence of His grace, healing, patience, love, faithfulness, and glory. My story points to God. It shows how He brought me through some of the hardest years of my life, always by my side. Through the mountains and valleys of it all, God was right there with me. At times I would question why I had to go through it all, but standing here today it all seems crystal clear and I am thankful to Him.

So that's why I do fitness. It is a way to point my life to Jesus and brings me closer to Him every single day. When I see what my body is capable of doing, I am in awe of God and what He has created. My body is an amazing gift, and I want to treat it with the respect it deserves.