Fitness, Faith, and Snickers

I’ve recently made some major adjustments in my eating habits. I had gotten to the point that I was eating way too much junk. Those fun size Snickers really are fun. And they are small, so it isn’t a big deal, so I’ll take 3… or 4…  O.k., I’ll have another.  Oh… the Peanut Butter Snickers are delightful. And it’s peanut butter, so it must be healthy. Where was I… Oh, yes.  I have made some changes in my eating habits. After just a few days, I began feeling much better with more energy and I could even think a little clearer. Being healthy is not a one time event, or even an occasional activity, it is a way of life.

I have had a good friend tell me they don’t want anything to do with God because the unbelievers they know are better than the Christians they know. It made me stop and think. I eventually replied to her, but it is something I think about often. My first thought was “who are these people that call themselves Christians and what are they doing?” Then I realized that this was a good friend of mine and she could very well be including me in that mix.

When I see someone who is obviously healthy, my assumption is they eat health and work out all the time. Then I see them eating that Peanut Butter Snickers and…

Oh, sorry.  I was thinking about the Snickers, again.  Then I see them eating that Peanut Butter Snickers and think they are no different than me. They claim to be healthy but look at what they are eating. I am seeing a snapshot in time.  A single event and judging that person based on that single event.

There is a common misconception that Christians are perfect people and always do the right thing. We are not. We go to the gym every day and eat healthy, but sometimes we get sidetracked by that Peanut Butter Snickers. Sometimes we just don’t feel like going to the gym at all. We are people. No perfect people, just people. We make mistakes. We sometimes do the wrong thing or say the wrong thing. Sometimes we are mean. Sometimes we get angry. But, we love God and desire to follow Jesus as best as our imperfect selves can. We have a faith and a hope in a better life. A life not of this world, but an eternal life in Heaven. We try to be healthy, but sometimes we just have to eat that Snickers.

Then there are those people we all know that talk about getting healthy all the time. They have a gym membership and all the healthy eating cookbooks. They are always talking about proper diet and exercise routines. Yet they still never seem to lose weight or get into shape. Going to the gym a couple times a year, or even once a week, will not make you healthy. Simply changing my eating habits, while it does help and I do feel better, is not going to get me into shape. Talking about being healthy doesn’t really do anything. Being healthy and fit is a lifestyle, not an isolated event or two.

Being a Christian is a lifestyle. It is not a once a week activity. We can go to church every Sunday and check off that “Christian” box, but there is much more to it than that. While it is important to go to church and we need that time together, the other six and a half days are just as important. Christianity is a lifestyle. It is about how we live our lives every day.  

This is probably why my friend’s comment about the unbelievers she knows being better than the Christians she knows has really made me think. What am I doing? What example am I showing? The things we do are not what gives us our salvation, but they are a direct, physical representation of our faith.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder

James 2:18 – 19

So, I am feeling better and have more energy with my new healthier eating. Now it’s time to start adding in some exercise. Now it is time to start putting some action behind my faith. Yes, I believe. But even the demons believe. Yes, we will make mistakes. We will stay home and not go to the gym. We will fall off the diet. But don’t look at someone’s life by a snapshot in time. Let’s enjoy our time together and lift each other up every Sunday morning at our places of worship, and then go live our lives and show our faith the other Six and a Half Days.

I’m off to find a Peanut Butter Snickers.

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