As fitness enthusiasts, we’re obsessed with our bodies — what they look like and what they can do. Many of us come to the sport of fitness looking for a better body. And fitness gives us that better body — it enables us to do more work with our bodies than ever before. And that’s great. God wants us to pursue healthier bodies. We should be physically strong enough to serve and to carry one another’s burdens. We should honor God with our bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:20)
But at its best, pursuing fitness just revives our dying bodies. It gives us a body that doesn’t wear out and die as fast…but our bodies are still going to die. No matter how physically fit our bodies are, they’re just a tent that will eventually be taken down…they’re temporary…mortal…perishing. (2 Corinthians 5:1)
But there is good news for our bodies. Jesus wants to give you a new body. When our present bodies grow weary, we will take off these bodies and put on new heavenly bodies like new clothing. (2 Corinthians 5:2) And the heavenly body he wants to give you through resurrection is even better than your fit body can give you through revival. Because Jesus doesn’t want to just revive your old life; he wants to resurrect you to new life.
A brand. new. body.
A brand. new. life.
And best of all, this new life and new body doesn’t require nearly as much work and sweat to achieve it as fitness does! In fact, we don’t have to work for it at all — it is God’s gift to us.
Every year, as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ at Easter, we celebrate the promised resurrection of our bodies and the gift of new life.
How will you celebrate your new life this Easter?
With new relationships? New goals? New habits? New mission?
Though we may have to wait for that future day to receive our new bodies, Easter is a new beginning that reminds us that we don’t have to wait for new life. Jesus is alive! And when we belong to Christ, a new life has already begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT): “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
