(ThyBlackMan.com) “…In many ways, spiritual exercise is a lot like physical exercise. If you stop exercising physically, your body may not show the results of inactivity for a while. But one day you wake up and find everything is sagging in all the wrong places.” – excerpt from A Man After God’s Own Heart by Jim George
‘For bodily exercise profiteth little: but Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.’
– 1 Timothy 4:8
We now live in a time where health consciousness has reached new heights. We watch and moderate what we eat. We integrate exercise regimens and 
train for 5K marathons. But if I may borrow from Paul – the writer of much of the New Testament of the Bible – the race we should be running has benefits exceeding far beyond the physical (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
While Paul wasn’t necessarily advocating for physical conditioning in the ninth chapter of his letter to the Corinthians, I believe he’d agree that the commitment it takes to exercise religiously is also a necessity for attaining our “imperishable crowns.”
Such crowns invoke an element of royalty which brings the direction of this entry into focus as it explores the workout routines of those who are deemed to be queens of the Kingdom of God; part and parcel to the bride of Christ.
Focusing on the importance of women’s physical and spiritual fitness does not imply that men can skirt the work of a husbandman in the Kingdom and let themselves go (physically) in their roles. Neither is this meant to serve as reinforcement to the many “models” of today that seek to undermine a woman’s confidence by showing them unattainable perfection that cannot be measured up to (but can be “made up” for with makeup and other well placed products). This is about physical AND spiritual empowerment and edification.
~
Buttering Up a Low Self-ImageThe role models play
in lowering your self-image
isn’t pretty.*
Make Up to Get Caked Up
Makeup bakes and makes
Up an excuse for you to
Give and get caked up.
~
While it is understood that taking care of oneself while utilizing exercise and beauty products can complement and enhance your inner beauty; the problem comes when what should be the source of your beauty is replaced and/or covered up by a worldly standard.
As the father to a newborn daughter, I know the pressures that may befall her should she go through an awkward stage in her teenage years. As such, my wife and I gave her a middle name that will serve as a means to refocus and redefine her.
Should the moment come when the world pressures her to disclaim the beauty of the image she was made in, we will augment the lessons that we’ll have taught her up to that point by giving her the definition and importance of her middle name: Michaela. Michaela is derived from its masculine counterpart Michael which means “who resembles God” – a definition that identifies all of us as descendants of a being God declared: “Let Us make man in Our image; after our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26).
Yet we must know and act on the fact that we should be careful to preserve the temples that house His Holy Spirit – the breath which gave us life (Genesis 2:7). Furthermore, knowing that our bodies do not belong to us as they have been purchased at a price, we are accountable for their preservation:
‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’
– 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Much like marriage, if you wish to enhance this temple, you cannot ignore either the physical or spiritual component lest the overall structure will suffer. There are plenty of people who lavish upon the physicality and emotionality of their marriage yet end in divorce because the spiritual portion is not nurtured. Similarly, the aspect of spiritual health is a necessary component to one’s physical wellbeing. As such, we must “work out” our spiritual issues as well as the physical. We must “exorcise religiously” to be sure that our body, mind and soul align for the divine purpose we were called to carry out in this world.
So work it out, beautiful women of God – but don’t forget to work in the matter of your spirit’s upkeep as well.
– an excerpt from An Exercise in Utility a.k.a. Exorcising Religiously as published in Steel Waters VOLUME I: DUPLicate AuthentICITY by Reggie Legend:
‘…Instead of burning or cutting carbs out,
I’m letting the Word purge and utterly carve me out.
There’s no harm or foul to be found in its double edge.
As far as diet goes, I’m treatin’ fallacies of unbelief
Like the sweet calories gleaned from treats…
Remaining steadfast to Calvary is the treaty I seek in humble pledge.Pumpin’ plenty of Living Water and the Spirit at the gate,
I’m sculptin’ my temple into more fearless acts of faith.
As sure as a Baptist wades, I’ve submerged myself for Kingdom admittance.
So instead of solely leaning on cardiovascular and weights,
My body and soul will be fashioned by its gait…
As I fasten the pace to grasp at His grace with gleesome repentance…’
Staff Writer; Reggie Legend
Can find more about this writer over at; http://www.steelwaterspoetry.com
Also available as a Keynote Speaker – Book him Today; Speakerwiki – Reggie Legend