#7. What Fitness and Faith in Jesus Have in Common
In my previous post, I described how God used my wife to bring me back to Him. We began attending church together and I felt the same giddy excitement as when I first walked into that YMCA gym nearly 60 years ago. I eventually met with the pastor and described who I was and what I was missing in my faith journey.
He led me through Biblical passages from both the Old and New Testaments- you may remember that I was raised in an observant Jewish home-which helped me recognize that I needed to pray for forgiveness of my sins. When I returned to see my wife, I knew that something big had happened; I just didn’t understand what it was. And just like my first experience with weight training, I began an adventure that lasts to this day.
What I have learned is that both fitness and faith are often misunderstood as quick- result pursuits. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Both fitness and faith involve transformation, discipline, patience, and a willingness to keep going when progress feels slow. And for me, physical training and spiritual growth have illuminated each other.
Transformation of Spirit and Body
Chasing perfection from a worldly perspective is a fool’s errand. Our bodies eventually fail; we fall short in our relationships with others and with God; and death remains undefeated. Real change- whether in physical fitness or spiritual maturity- is gradual. Transformation is not only external; it reshapes desires, habits, endurance and identity. Both visible and invisible progress matter.
What I had to learn is that I am dependent on God for this transformation of body/mind/spirit to occur. That’s why Paul in his letter to the church at Rome says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
I used to think that any changes I made in my fitness were solely up to my efforts. I still believe in training hard and smart, but I didn’t create this body; it was given to me. And growing older has taught me to reflect on the dynamic tension between accepting limitations and continuing to push forward. I am coming to understand that humility, surrender and perseverance can coexist.
My faith walk has been similar. I came to Jesus at the tender age of 60 and consider myself a teenager on this spiritual journey. In the beginning, I believed that if I just tried harder, I would develop genuine faith. But God taught me that it was Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross that empowered me to have a right relationship with Him. That transformation of my mind has led to more patience and discipline in my life.
Spiritual Disciplines and Physical Discipline
I believe that prayer, Scripture reading, worship, and service to others align perfectly with training habits like consistency, recovery, nutrition, and repetition. Both routines shape outcomes over time. And I have learned that discipline is not punishment; it is a way of becoming the kind of person we were created to be.
My enthusiasm as a new believer in Jesus was like the excitement I felt when I started my fitness journey. Both beginnings were meaningful, but neither could rely on motivation alone. Both require guidance, structure and endurance after the novelty wears off. Strength grows slowly. So does faith. Both require showing up after the excitement fades. Both fitness and faith are lifelong processes of transformation.
I hope this post encourages you. Where are you being called to keep showing up? I’d love to hear more about that.