Jesus napped. (Luke 8:22-23) Seems kind of weird to think about that, doesn’t it?
And he not only napped, but he also walked regularly, exercised if you will. And he not only napped and walked, but he didn’t eat fast food or processed food either. (Okay, so there wasn’t any fast food or processed food when he was walking the planet, but still, it’s true.) The point is, when Jesus was in human form like you and me, he took care of his human body.
I see so many today taking care of their bodies but in a way that becomes consuming and obsessive. The focus of their life is their diet, or their sleep rhythms, or their exercise program. And that’s not the way Jesus did it. The point of taking care of our bodies isn’t to become obsessed with diet, or sleep cycles, or exercise. The point of taking care of our bodies is to do it, so we can do more for God’s kingdom.
So yes, take care of your body. Rest, eat right, exercise. But do it as an investment of your talents. Then take the return on that investment and use it to bear fruit for your Father in heaven. (Matthew 25:14-30)
Jesus did.
You can too.
[You might also like Love Like Jesus–Diet, Exercise, and Rest. Really?]
[Image via buhny – Creative Commons]