Employ It
Neat series, huh guys? For my part, I've thoroughly enjoyed examining what Tim Challies said, breaking down into segments what God - the owner of our body - expects from us in that we will present it, steward it, nurture it, and finally, employ it.
"You need to employ your body. Inner godliness is to be displayed in outward acts of kindness. James shows the unity of faith and works in this illustration: “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:15-17). The love of God in your heart is to be displayed by the works of your hands. Young men are at their physical peak and bear a double responsibility to use that strength for the good of others. “The glory of young men is their strength,” says Solomon, “but the splendor of old men is their gray hair” (Proverbs 20:29).
Many people today hold to a form of the ancient teaching of gnosticism. They believe the soul has great significance while the body is merely a useless vessel to be used or abused. But as Christians we see that there is much greater unity than this. To care for the body is to care for the soul."
Pastor Brian Howard recently said that God breathed into only two things: His word and your body. That’s right. God breathed only onto His Word and into your body and mine. Remarkable.
And it’s with that reality that we begin to close our series; by employing our bodies. Like a wind that presses against a sail, God’s breath produces the innermost glow inside clay and purpose is born and begins to warm and expand and realize its worth and meaning. The body. What a remarkable clarity. And instantaneous labyrinth of miracles. What coordinated complexity! From joints, ligaments and muscle to thoughts and dreams and ideas and conscience. And it’s when we consider the actual breath of God on our skin that things like eating and exercising become those basic yet holy necessities of stewardship and allows for the opportunity to be generous. To do the work.
What a call. That’s why bodily stewardship is so complex. It doesn’t start in the gym and end in a flex, but rather it begins and ends in a heart where God is pleased, His image is cherished and His will is pursued in the process.
Question: Are you employing your health? Not working on your body, but employing your health to complete the spectrum of what bodily stewardship means? We hope so. We are all in this together. As one body. So cool.
Challies has some practical advice for the blocking and tackling. Jot these nuggets down.
Plan to be fit. - Plan to get fit and stay fit through wise, moderate eating and regular, vigorous exercise.
Guard against idleness. - Guard against the idleness that keeps you on the couch when you should be active.
Guard against gluttony. - Food is a great gift, but it makes a terrible god. Learn to practice self-control toward food and renounce any sign of gluttony.
Prepare for the decline. - As your body and perhaps even your mind grows weak, there will be many new temptations to sin. Read Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 as a glimpse of your own biography and ask, “What will sustain me in that day?” The answer is simple: godly character. Nothing but godly character will sustain you as your body decays and your mind weakens. Even while you give attention to your physical health, do not neglect your spiritual well-being.
Like I said, it's been a good series. It’s so complex. I love serving you all. Thank you for your constant faithfulness, support and encouragement.
- Jimmy Peña
YOU CALLED MY NAME
If something you’ve read or have seen over the course of this series has inspired you to involve your physical health into your overall life, we are so grateful. If you’re looking for a chance to exercise and channel that, we invite you to join (either in Los Angeles or virtually from where you live) The PrayFit Run on May 2. Perfect for walkers, joggers or serious runners to put one foot in front of the other as stewards of health and to employ themselves as the Body. The cause of course is to benefit kids and families impacted by special needs. I wrote on our social media platforms recently, "What if 7 years meant how long a family didn't go to church because it was just too hard to attend with their child with special needs? Why does it matter?...Because it matters to God." - Gigi Sanders from Radical with David Platt.
Pictured here is little Jordan. He's taller than me now. He inspired the PrayFit Run a few years ago. Basically, He's the boss. Along with a few of his friends and the pioneer in church special needs ministry, Gina Spivey, Jordan inspired me to climb my 2nd mountain. (If you ever wondered the reasoning behind the #2 in our material, there you go.) But like many before me have realized, you don't conquer 2nd mountains. They conquer you.
PrayFit's "The Body" is a place where fitness meets special needs. It's a summons. A call for the fitness industry to the doorstep of disability. But I'm learning from Gina and Jordan and the rest of the gang, that I'm not coming to the rescue, but to be rescued. Yes, they may have needs mentally or physically, but the truth is, I am never more like Jesus than when I'm around them. My soul is at its best when I'm near the pure in heart. It is impossible to be proud in the presence of the sacred.
I'm never more loving or kind or gentle or patient than when we're all hanging out. The fruit of our time together is evident in their impact on me; to a degree unmatched by my impact on them. Even if the parents disagree, saying we have no idea how much we're helping, I believe that in the annals of eternity and on the anvil where suffering is met by God's sovereignty, it is the absolute truth.
And the PrayFit Run is one of the ways we’re employing ourselves. I hope you join us. When you sign up, you can share your unique page with your friends so they can sponsor you. And even if you don’t want to actually participate or you’re unavailable or unable, but you’d like to come alongside us, you can donate to the day to help us with our costs. Here’s the link to check out everything about the day.
