Stay Healthy Inside and Out

"Your pain is because your muscles are tight." The words spoken to me by my Physical therapist and massage therapist were not exactly news. I had been suffering with hip and buttock pain that was affecting my joints and other areas of my body. I didn't understand how this happened. My whole life has been centered around wellness and fitness, but now with the demands of life, I had developed some daily bad habits. Even though I worked out each morning, the prolonged sitting without frequent walk breaks while working and standing in high heels was putting unnecessary pressure on my hamstrings and glute muscles. I also started skipping my yoga regimen for a quick stretch, which was not enough to improve the flexibility that was needed. These daily habits led to tightness, pain and misalignment of my joints that kept me from the cardio and strength exercises that I loved. As a wellness coach, I know the Big Three: Strength training, cardio exercise, and the often over-looked stretching for flexibility.

Flexibility is a key component of fitness to improve our health, especially as we age. It decreases joint and muscle aches and improves our mobility for every-day life.

During this time of therapy to release my muscles and align my body properly, I also realized there were components of my spiritual health that were not in proper alignment. I focused on giving God some areas of my life but neglected others. Mark 12:30-31 reveals the Big Three components of our spiritual life that Jesus calls the most important law to follow. It says, "Love the Lord your God with all of you heart, and all of your soul and with all of your mind and with all of your strength. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.”

He has shown me that loving Him with my soul means with everything in me. I am to love him passionately with my heart, but can't always trust my heart as it will lead me astray. So I must know Him intellectually with my mind for wisdom and understanding of who He is. When I feel I don't have the strength to obey or love as He has called me, I can rely on Him to give me strength. Learning to love Him in all these ways must become a daily habit.

As I continue to make my health a priority, just as my relationship with God, I cannot skip one component. If we are skipping our flexibility training, especially as we age, we can get out of alignment physically. If we are skipping one of the ways God calls us to love Him, we can get out alignment spiritually.

I am happy to say that I have incorporated new daily habits. A standing desk in my office, replacing heels with stylish flats and a routine of massage and yoga is restoring my physical body. Pausing each day to ask the Lord how to love Him with my soul, heart, mind and strength is where I will live out all God requires of me and be healthy inside and out.

Reflection

What components for your health and fitness are you skipping?
What components of loving God could you be neglecting?
How could you begin loving God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength?

Goals

What are three things you can begin today to incorporate flexibility training and one area of your life to love God with your soul, heart, mind and strength?

"Love the Lord your God with all of you heart, and all of your soul and with all of your mind and with all of your strength. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31 NIV)