Laura Henry was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and a Masters of Education in Counseling and Human Development. Laura and her husband, Christian, have been in ministry for 7 years. They both serve at Liberty Live Church in Hampton, VA. Christian is the Middle School Pastor while Laura works part-time as the Elementary Curriculum Coordinator and serves in the Student Ministry and Worship Ministry at Liberty. Laura and Christian have a daughter and a second baby on the way!
I was expectant as I stepped on the scale that morning. I had cleaned up my diet, exercised every day and already felt so much better. My motivation was sky high.
As a mom of two, and only two and a half months postpartum, I was beyond ready to get back in shape. The postpartum hormones, the extra weight and the lack of hair appointments and sleep in the last eight weeks, kept me struggling to see any beauty or feel the least bit good about myself. Summer was in just a few weeks, and I was nowhere near confident to put on a swimsuit.
As I looked down at the silver square on the ground, I anticipated what the number may reflect.
Though there were seasons where I wasn’t as dedicated or motivated, physical exercise had most always been a part of my life. Any time, and I do mean anytime, I put in the work, I felt and saw results, almost immediately.
The number flashed on the screen. I had lost…NOTHING. Not one pound. In fact, I had gained a pound.
…I was not expecting that. And nothing made me more discouraged.
After a good cry session, a small pity party and a much-needed phone call to my mom, I faced a question, to which my answer would be very revealing.
Why do I exercise? Is it to look good and have visibly toned muscles? Is it to have more energy and better health to serve my family better? Or is it to glorify God by choosing self-discipline over indulgence?
Yes. Yes to all of that. It felt wrong to want both the physical progress and the spiritual discipline.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be back in shape, feel confident in a swimsuit and building muscle. The problem therein lies in the priority and the perspective.
In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul states, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” It becomes very apparent that He acknowledges the physical body. However, he links the physical with the spiritual, calling it the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” The two cannot be separated. Honoring God with our physical bodies is an act of obedience. It is the priority. We must have an eternal perspective about our physical bodies.
When we are not eternally minded, we are deceived into thinking that the superficial things are more important than the eternal things. We may even crave the superficial over the eternal.
But, if my perspective is an eternal one, I cannot measure my progress through a transient lens. Lysa Terkeurst, in her book, Made to Crave, writes, “…we are never supposed to get our soul satisfaction from our looks…I must obey God rather than human values—like the number on the scale or the size on the tag in my jeans.”
The physical progress is simply the byproduct of a much deeper, more important, eternal achievement. God doesn’t want our perfection, He wants our best.
When we view our physical health as walking in obedience to God, we choose an eternal reward…one that is much more valuable than the temporary progress we crave.