Craving God: Day 10 But Exercise makes me want to Cry

Thought for the day: I fully realize that my body as a temple may not be God's most grand dwelling. However, I want to lift up to the Lord my willingness to dedicate my exercise as a gift to Him and myself. This one act un-divides my heart and reminds me of the deeper purposes for moving my body.

The author tells of meeting her exercise loving husband (she on the other hand, not an exerciser), & how she temporarily changed her attitude because she was smitten. She found that exercise was a great way to spend more time with him., however on the first day of their honeymoon he initiated an early morning run, she thought why would I want to do that. we're married now. She didnt run again for many years. Psalm 86:11-12 explains her quandary: Teach me your way, O Lord, & I will walk in your truth; give me undivided heart...I will glorify your name forever. Undivided heart. My heart was divided between exercising for another person''s reasons or finding my own motivation. When it comes to my body, which in 1 Corinthians 6:19 calls "a temple of the Holy Spirit", I cant live with divided loyalties. I can either be loyal to honoring the Lord, my husband, and my body or be loyal to my cravings, desires & excuses for not exercising. In the Old Testament the Israelites we to take care of the temple by rebuilding it, but like most of us they struggled with a heart divided by concerns about the everyday needs of their city & homes. So Gods people neglected building the temple for 10 years. Each year something else seemed to be more important. The author found that her struggle to exercise got delayed by other things with a higher priority, raising children, working, paying bills, watching tv(ouch!!) & chatting on the phone.

Just as God promised the Israelites blessing for obedience, he warned of consequences for not rebuilding the temple.( I guess our obedience to exercise would result in healthier bodies, consequence for not obeying would be out of shape, miserable bodies) Our choices always seem to catch up to us. How might you start rebuilding your temple today? Find a way to exercise you enjoy & it will be something you will continue to do.