You Won't Look At Weight Training The Same
Why Christians and Those Looking to Improve Mind and Character Need to Develop the Physical Body.
I understand every spiritual concept through the lens of physical training. It is training the mind, spirit and soul as well as the body. The Bible uses numerous examples of kings, soldiers and warriors, and their physical undertakings to explain how we should be physically and spiritually capable. Samson, David, Moses, Joshua and Caleb were all well physically trained and capable men who were in good health, strong and able to carry out God’s mission for them and for the people they led and fought for. Caleb, one of the men that were sent out on a reconnaissance mission when God had commissioned the Children of Israel to go and possess the land He had sworn to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey but inhabited by giants and people of war, spoke these words to Joshua, the successor of Moses, saying…
And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”
-Joshua 14:10-12 NKJV
All his life he had trained, fought, pushed through challenge and adversity physically and mentally. This way of life secured his health, his strength and developed his character and faith so that when he reached eight-five years of age he was, in his own words, as strong now as he was forty-five years earlier when he and the Israelites faced the Anakim (a race of giants). Just as his strength was then, so was his strength now four and a half decades later.
Humans in modern society today, generally, age very poorly due to sedentary lifestyles. Alex Mansson explains this in an Instagram post where he advocates for natural primal movement such as swinging, hanging and squatting. I definitely agree. I will also add that our food supply and consumption of processed foods that are far removed from what you would ever find in nature is a huge contributing factor. Now, concerning movement, if you would add to that an increased resistance factor, we would age even more gracefully, keep and even increase our strength and energy for years and decades to come. Being around longer, in a capable and meaningful way for our families, others and for living out the purpose God has planned for us. For we all have a purpose, and not only that, a duty to our Creator to present our bodies a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) which in turn leads to the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2). Let’s be like Caleb, being strong into our later years by way of physical challenge and development and being able to help others for as long as we’re on this earth.
Resistance training allows us to strengthen and develop muscle. Muscle allows us to put into action the thoughts and intents of the heart and the will of the mind. Increasing our strength and improving our muscular capacity, along with strengthening the bones that provide the structural support for that muscle and the tendons and ligaments that connect to it, allow us to act out our thoughts and intentions with energy, passion and purpose. Strength of body allows us to help others who cannot help themselves. Also, with the right view and deeper understanding of why, the strength and development achieved through the challenge and through systematic and disciplined training, the mind and character are developed and improved upon in the same manner. There are life, moral and spiritual lessons to be learned through trial and adversity that you face and WILL overcome when you set your faculties on a course to develop body, mind and soul. Hit the gym, hit the track and hit the field with passion. Hit the weights and welcome the challenge with purpose and intention.
“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
-1 Corinthians 9:27
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
-Socrates
“Since it so happens that the human being is not soul alone, nor body alone, but a kind of synthesis of the two, the person in training must take care of both, the better part, the soul, more zealously; as is fitting, but also of the other [the body], if he shall not be found lacking in any part that constitutes man.”
-Gaius Musonius Rufus
This publication is completely free. My purpose and my passion is to bring meaningful content to you that will help you continually improve in body, mind and soul. However, if you would like to help support me and help me keep making content like this, your donation of any amount is very much appreciated. I wish you health, wealth and happiness. Thank you.
Humans are constituted of three components body, mind and soul. We already know how resistance training develops us physically. Let’s explore the ways resistance training develops the mind and soul.
Discipline, Self-Control & Mental Strength
Weight training requires commitment, consistency, and self-discipline to see progress. Sticking to a regular workout schedule and pushing through challenging and difficult exercises, you develop discipline, mental strength and self-control. Physical training teaches you to not only push and endure when you need to, but to resist and restrain when you need to. When you embark on a training program, you will inevitably, even if not at first, start to become disciplined in what you eat, drink and put into your body. Why? Because you soon start to realize that you cannot challenge yourself without nourishing yourself or you will end up breaking down the body instead of building the body. There were times where specific instructions were given by God concerning the food and diet of His special chosen ones to keep them in good health, such as in the case of Samson (Judges 13:7) and John the Baptist (Luke 1:15) and at other times describing their healthful diet (Mark 1:6, Matthew 3:4).
It also gives you the ability to practice self-restraint when it comes the words you speak and the actions you take when dealing with others. I’ve heard it said if you can control what you eat and what you say, you are a perfect man. The Bible says “ Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21 NKJV) and “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” (James 3:2 NKJV). Learning restraint in one area, such as in your diet and rest periods when it comes to a fitness lifestyle, can help you practice restraint in other areas. For it is a foundation you’re building and you will keep building on it from there. Just stay in the game.
Resistance training challenges you both physically and mentally by pushing through difficult and often uncomfortable times. By overcoming mental barriers and perceptual limitations, you undoubtedly develop mental strength, determination, and the ability to keep laser like focus and stay hopeful in challenging situations. You can do this because you see the light at the end of the tunnel and you know the reward is coming. Physical training, whether resisting a load placed against you or pushing to increase endurance while your lungs and muscles are burning, is actually more mental than it is physical. Your mind and your willpower become exceptionally strong and your body simply follows suit. Lessons of soul, spirit and and character can be found in nature. This includes the operating of our bodies (the temple of the God) and how our bodies become stronger through challenge and facing adversity. A strong and healthy body is of great importance here on this earth. Yet, in comparison with the development of our soul and character, which determines where we spend eternity, it is of less value than our final reward (eternal life) at the close of this earth’s history but we are to learn from the development of the physical nature what we ought to develop in the spiritual nature.
“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”
-1 Timothy 4:8 NKJV
Patience & Long-suffering
Progress in weight training and physical development takes time. You must be patient as you work towards your goal. Delaying gratification and saying no to the quick and fleeting sensation of pleasure in the here and now in exchange for the lasting reward of achieving your ultimate goal is a rare trait and worth more than silver or gold. Patience is not only a virtue but a strength that breaks down walls, turns metal to dust and forges passages through mountains. How does rust weaken the chain? Over time. Patience. How does water carve a path through stone? Overt time. Patience. Staying committed and persistent in the face of slow and gradual progress builds patience and resilience in all aspects of life.
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
-James 1:2-4 NKJV
Long-suffering and enduring hardship is another quality more precious than gold. A trait also developed and manifested by challenging the body, pushing past the burn and giving it your all.
“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
-2 Timothy 2:3 NKJV
I have witnessed athletes leaving blood, sweat and tears on the field, on the court and in the ring and have done so myself. We did it for our own personal development and the thrill of the fight or the challenge. It has also taught me to have the same drive and mindset in life in general and for Jesus Christ. For Christ has taught us that it is more than worth it.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
-Romans 8:18 NKJV
Mistakes may be made and knowledge is forever increasing and our execution in developmental tactics is and always will be changing according to new light and research. But who among us athletes, health enthusiasts or biohackers have ever regretted embarking on the path? Single missteps may be learned from in hindsight, but regretting pursuing the narrow path of excellence of body, mind and soul has never been a thought in my head. For anyone who has pursued such a path for a good portion of their life has always been the better for it. How much more grateful and hopeful ought we to be for the reward of our spiritual and eternal final achievement?
Diligence
“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.
-Proverbs 6:6-8 NKJV
Doing what needs to be done, not what you feel like doing, is what leads to success regardless of feelings, carnal desires or hedonistic prompts. This is the way to rest secure and satisfied in the end. Meal prep instead of going out to eat to places that you know you will find it difficult to stick to your nutrition plan and potentially derail your training efforts. Complete your workout instead of binge watching that favorite show. Take advantage of holidays and special times where you know the gym will be empty and you can have greater freedom in the gym saving time and energy. Stick to your planned training regimen instead of going out to party. Rest and get to bed at a decent hour instead of staying up all night doing things you know do not serve your goals or your health. Diligence over decadence.
Confidence
As you progress in your journey of physical development and see improvements in your strength and physique, you experience a boost in confidence. This also comes with a joy and happiness because you have put in the time, effort and even pushed through pain and discomfort to become a better version of yourself. A version of yourself that is stronger and more resilient physically, mentally and spiritually and that is able to live out your purpose. Because you are confident that what a man sows he will also reap (Galatians 6:7).
This is a confidence that comes from having taken a road avoided by many. Once understood on a deeper level, this confidence is not the unwarranted pride that precedes a fall warned against in the Bible (Proverbs 16:18). Because we realize no one is better than anyone else in God’s eyes and all have, and will always have, shortcomings. In contrast, and especially when your own weakness and limitations are exposed through training, this confidence comes from knowing that God has given us the ability to use our will and our minds to develop the body and brain that He has given us, and through Him, and for Him, we can accomplish all things (Philippians 4:11-13, Acts 17:28, 1 Corinthians 10:31). This is a confidence that comes from obedience. When you are obedient to laws of health and nature and the principles of physical development, you can be confident that God will reward those efforts that came with that obedience to natural law and faith in the process just as we are to be confident that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete to the very end—until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).
The development of the physical body that is actually a secondary result of the training of the mind and spirit, for as a man thinketh, so is he (Proverbs 23:7), is one thing that has changed my perspective on adversity and self-assessment (Romans 12:3). Resisting loads placed against me, pushing through discomfort, doing the hard thing and understanding this overarching principle in life and being thankful for it, has given me confidence of a different kind. It’s also given me a level of peace hard to understand if not seen through a spiritual lens (1 Corinthians 2:14, Philippians 4:7). Now THAT is confidence.
Service to God and Others
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
-Matthew 25:40 NKJV (also read verses 41-45)
I have been injured and broken, no matter how careful I was or how well I thought I trained or kept form. I am simply human. I know that by the grace of God I healed. I adhered to laws of nature and health, which are laws of God, as best I could and recovered functionality and strength. God works with us when we practice what we know and do right and do it for the right reasons. I had a new view of health and fitness. Something that was not to be done simply for self, but to honor my Creator and have the ability to do and to work and to be of good health in service to God and others. For we were bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and all development of self is to be for His glory and in service to others whom He also died for. We want to be to be around longer for family and loved ones. And not only be around longer, but be around in a capable and meaningful way.
You see, weight training and physical training offers not only physical benefits but also develops the spirit and character. These benefits go far beyond the physical realm. In fact, physical training is so important to the development of character and the soul, one of my favorite Christian authors puts it this way…
Early Childhood Is The Most Important Period—”Too much importance cannot be placed on the early training of children. The lessons that the child learns during the first seven years of life have more to do with forming his character than all that is learns in future years”
-Ellen G. White, Child Guidance pg. 193
“The Child’s Program During Infancy—During the first six or seven years of a child’s life, special attention should be given to its physical training, rather than the intellect. After this period, if the physical constitution is good, the education of both [physical and intellectual] should receive attention.
-Ellen G. White, Child Guidance pg. 300
Through the physical we can teach the mental and the spiritual.
I want to be able to help the old woman across the street, I want to be able to carry her groceries to the car. I want to be able to bend down and crouch to help change the tire for the person stranded on the side of the road. I want to be able to be of assistance and an example of someone using their physical health, not simply for self but to serve others. I want to inspire fathers, mothers and those in positions that require a sound physical and mental constitution to be truly effective in their stations (police officers, firefighters, doctors, therapists, trainers, coaches) to put forth their best efforts to retain health and vigor in the service of God and man. These are positions that I applaud anyone choosing to go into because you dedicate your life to serve others. So let us not forget that often times in these positions, the lives our loved ones depend on the physical condition of the one responding to the call. We’re only human and tragedies happen. It’s an unfortunate reality in our fallen world. But let our conscious be clear and let not tragedy occur because our neglect of health or fitness. Let yourself be able to face family and God, knowing you did everything you could at every moment and lived a life mindful of how you cared for the temple that is our body and did not live your life constantly putting into the body that which weakens, degrades or pollutes it.
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
-1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.”
-Ecclesiastes 9:10 NKJV
Accidents happen. I’ve had my fair share. But let us do what we can on our part, whatever is in our control, as is our duty, work with our Creator and be in the best condition we can be in to have the important energy that health and strength grant to serve and love others.
Because…
“…inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
-Matthew 25:40 NKJV
Balance & Rest
Every athlete and health minded individual knows that rest and work are synergists. They work together and amplify one another. Every person undergoing training should have a period of time where they rest and lighten the load from their regular intense training. God Himself built in a period of rest every week for the recuperation of our energy, the calming of our minds and for a closer connection with Him (Exodus 20:10-11). The Bible and physical training both have lessons to teach on this matter. Learning to back off when you need to, say no when you need to, take things off your plate when you need to and rest to recover your strength is a valuable lesson gained through training and understanding how the amazing machine that is your body works. You cannot get stronger or recover without proper rest. That includes Your body and your mind. Your body will hurt, your joints and muscles will ache and stiffen and your muscles and tissues will weaken without proper rest. There is a time and a place for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11). Take the time to rest when you need to. If you neglect rest for yourself how can you have the energy or health to serve others? The blind cannot lead the blind, the lost cannot direct the lost, the sick cannot help the sick, the injured cannot heal the injured, the drained and depleted cannot give energy to the drained and depleted. You cannot get blood out of a rock.
“And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?”
-Luke 6:39 NKJV
Stewardship
We are to be good stewards of whatever God has entrusted to us. This also allows us to better serve God and others as touched on previously. Whether it’s time, money, energy, friendships and family or our bodies, we are to be good stewards of our resources and gifts and will be held accountable for how we used them and what we did with them. The parables of the talents and the faithful and unfaithful stewards in Matthew chapter 25 and Luke chapter 16 in the Bible come to mind touching on the point of being faithful of what we are given. Appropriately putting to use, developing, growing and nurturing what is entrusted to us. Even when dealing with each other, if you were to lend me your car or let me borrow something of yours and I returned it beat up and in poor condition because I didn’t care how I used it and neglected to take good care of it, you would most likely be upset. You would probably never let me borrow something of yours again because you know I wouldn’t be a good steward of it. Everything we have in this life is a gift from God (James 1:17) and that includes our physical bodies. Again, accidents happen and certain things are out of our control, but let us faithfully do and manage whatever is in our control and let it be said to us…
‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
-Matthew 25:23 NKJV
Links to related past writings
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