Today, my daughter turns thirty-two. The shape of her shape has changed as she has aged—and so has mine.
I enjoy calculating what age my grandparents and parents were when I reached particular stages of my life. When I was young, everyone—including my parents and grandparents—seemed old. I once calculated what their age would have been when I was in middle school. My parents were in their thirties—the age my daughter now is. My grandparents seemed ancient when I was a teenager, but my grandfather would have been fifty-seven—one year younger than I am now.
The results of my calculations were sobering. It reminded me age is relative. As a middle schooler, I considered thirty old, but I don’t consider my daughter old. And though I thought my grandfather was ancient and wrinkled when I was a teen, I don’t consider myself the same now.
“Old” gets older the older I get. Now, I chuckle inside when I hear a senior adult in their eighties talk about old folks.
I can’t stop the aging process. Surgeries, creams, and muscle-toning exercises may hide the results of age from others, but my body still knows its birthday.
The Bible has little to say about physical exercise, probably because when written, almost everyone performed manual exercise. No reason to tell people about the importance of physical exercise. They received it daily. But also because a more important type of exercise exists than physical. My skin may be smooth and body toned when I’m in my eighties, but I’m likely to still die then—or before.
Physical exercise carries important weight and may help us live longer, but spiritual exercise helps us avoid spiritual death and live eternally with Christ. When I accepted Christ, my body became a temple of His Spirit. God goes with me everywhere and remains nearby for me to consult in every situation. Keeping this temple clean through godly living and thinking remains the best exercise I can do and keeps me mentally, spiritually, and emotionally fit.
Most may praise and seek after outward beauty, but God likes the inner beauty better. Pay attention to your physical shape, but pay more attention to your spiritual condition.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author who has been published in numerous publications. He also serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net. He is the author of six books. His most recent book, Don’t Just Live...Really Live, was released in November 2021. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of six. He can be contacted at [email protected].