Over the past ten years, the health and fitness industry has taken over much of the spotlight on social media. Innumerable amounts of millennial instagram influencers, have found substantial success in consistently posting content on their profile, relating to diet, and exercise. A great majority of the pictures that are posted on the instagram pages of these influencers, are photographs that showcase their impressive bodily physiques; as these are people who’s entire lives revolve around bodily exercise, for the sake of appearance.
This influx of fitness influencers within the past decade, grabbed ahold of my attention when I was 18 years old. Many of the fitness influencers I began following on social media were male bodybuilders, who lifted incredible amounts of weights at the gym. As a young, thin, and self-conscious, senior in high school, I immediately built up a desire within my heart, and mind, to start lifting weights. My overall goal was to become a physically fit young adult.
To make a long story short, I did become very physically fit. By the time I was 19 years old, I was working almost full time, as a club representative, at a popular gym out here in Southern California. I was surrounded by what I deemed to be the “fitness lifestyle”, as all my co-workers were bodybuilders, and some even regularly competed in competitions.
At the end of my shifts at the gym, I would go in the locker room, change into my gym clothes, and then workout. Exercising became the highlight of my day, each week. It felt incredibly satisfying, whenever I saw improvement in my strength performance, while engaging in a particular exercise. It also felt very good to see the gradual change in my physical appearance, as I went from being a very thin, small framed kid, to a muscular guy that was gaining the attention of beautiful women.
All of these things were very pleasurable for a time— until I began to notice that my bodily muscular development began to dwindle. Though, I was exercising regularly, I was no longer making progress with my muscle gains, as I once was. Looking back I now realize that I should have sought out more guidance from fitness professionals, during my time working out. I was taking a very careless approach to my exercise routine, which began to have negative effects on my muscular development— and soon afterwards my shoulder joints. By the time I was 20 years old, I had developed a bad impingement injury on both of my shoulders. I could not work out much at all for the next 3 years. It appeared that the season of my life which was bringing me much excitement, and satisfaction was over— yet God was using all of this to start something brand new.
In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus was speaking to His followers about the cares of life, which often overwhelm our thought processes. He used examples of how people often worry themselves over what they will eat, or what they will drink; when they should instead trust that their Heavenly Father will provide for them (Matt. 6:25-26). Jesus speaks of this in verse 26 stating,
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not much better than they?”
Jesus continues to speak on these things in the continuing verses, arriving at a conclusion to the whole matter in verse 33 stating,
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Jesus is calling on all of us within this verse, to become Kingdom Christians— followers of Christ, who put their relationship with God, and His purpose for them, first and foremost before anything else in life.
During my time working in the fitness industry, I was not living life as a Kingdom Christian. This is not because I enjoyed working out, or building a muscular physique; but rather it was because my relationship with God was not first and foremost in my life. When I was 19 years old, my main priority was the gym life, and nothing else. Exercise is not a bad thing at all, however the Apostle Paul reminds us that while bodily exercise profits us a little bit, “godliness is profitable unto all things” (1 Tim. 4:8, KJV). What should be driving us out of bed each morning, should not be solely the cares of this life; rather the eternal purpose that God has for us, should be what motivates us to keep moving forward.
And concerning the cares of this life, Jesus assures us in verse 33 that, “all of these things will be added” unto us, if we seek first the purposes of His kingdom. During the three years after receiving my initial shoulder diagnosis, the Holy Spirit began doing an incredible work in my life; as for the first time, I began putting my relationship with God, front and center. My main priority was no longer my physical appearance, but instead it was my inward state spiritually before the Lord. I am now at a point in my life where my shoulders are all healed up, and I am back to regularly lifting weights— only now, my priorities have been set straight spiritually.
The incredible part about all of this, is that I am ironically more physically fit now, than I was when the fitness lifestyle was the main priority in my life. There could be a number of reasons as to why this is the case— with one being that I have more of a rest period now in between my workouts, allowing my muscles to grow more effectively. But regardless of the reasons, my point is that Matthew 6:33 has been proven true in my own life, as I see how after seeking first God’s kingdom, the Lord has allowed me to reap not only eternal benefits, but earthly blessings as well.
I would encourage you the reader, to stop wasting time overwhelming your thoughts with earthly cares- and instead allow God to provide for your needs, as you seek first that which He has called you to. It is time to become a Kingdom Christian.
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