We live in a world that prizes physical beauty above all else. Television and the movies are full of people who are almost perfect physically, portraying characters that are morally flawed, and that is celebrated. It almost seems that the worse the actions of the character, the more beautiful the actress or actor must be, as if the physical perfection will cancel out the spiritual flaws, so that the ugliness of the actions can be laughed off. In real life, actors and actresses are placed on pedestals. It is always funny and sad to me that every election season, actors and actresses start trying to tell us how to vote, and the media acts like we should care. Does their physical beauty make them smarter or more important than the average American?

This has extended into our real lives. One example that sticks out to me is of the high school teacher who was having an affair with one of her teenage male students. She was beautiful and fit, and in the end, recieved at most a slap on the wrist for what was obviously wrong behavior. It was if her beauty made her crime negligible. It seems sometimes that living a law abiding and decent life is made fun of, but you better be thin and pretty, because being overweight or unattractive is now the cardinal sin.

People seem to forget that no matter how fit you are, how fast you can run, how many pounds you can lift, what size dress you can fit into; you are going to die. When you do, it will no longer matter how physically fit you are. What will matter is this. Were you spiritually fit? And I think that that is really what scares people; why so many millions of dollars are spent in this country on weight loss and fitness and beauty. People are afraid to die because no matter how much they jump up and down and scream and yell that there is no God, there was no Jesus, it doesn't matter how you live your life; deep down, maybe so deep down they don't even have to acknowledge it, they know better. Let's face it, the only way to live forever doesn't come through excercise and diet, it comes from knowing and believing in Jesus

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved. --John 3:16-17

As important as being physically healthy and fit is to me, it isn't the most important thing to me. I know as far as I go to being physically fit, I still have a far greater way to go to being spiritually fit. I need to pray more, read my Bible more, praise more, talk about Jesus more. I need to tell them, you know, yes, I sin. Everyday I sin. I know it, God knows it. But I also know Jesus, and He forgives me.

Spiritually, It's not about being perfect, it's about being forgiven. Spiritual fitness is so much easier than physical fitness because all it takes is one prayer. Forgive me, Jesus, come into my heart and make me whole.