Friday, March 18, 2011

A Quick Look at Physical Discipline

Yesterday I wrote about the connection between our physical and spiritual natures.  With that in mind, I want to put down a few thoughts on "paper", so to speak.

I honestly had not really given physical discipline a great deal of thought growing up.  That is, until I took up running as a means of fitness.  That's when I started to realize the connections between regular exercise, eating, resting, and the like.  When you eat a pizza the night before a run, you shouldn't be surprised to feel really sluggish.  On the  flip side, a really healthy pasta dish may seem like it gives you hours of energy, especially when combined with good hydration and a regular fitness schedule.

What happens to our physical bodies greatly affects our spiritual nature.  In my career, I've seen people bent over with pain whose spirit simply seemed to give out on them.  I've seen how the lack of care for our physical bodies can also lead to an overall spirit of disgust or a lack of satisfaction in life.

St. Paul gives us the reminder that our bodies are not our own.  God has created our body, given it to us as a gift, and created it to work within certain boundaries.  Therefore, it stands to reason that taking care of this gift from God would be something that He would desire, as well as a good way to simply feel better about ourselves.

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