REFLECTIONS ON FITNESS FROM OUR STAFF (and What They Mean for Your Soul)

Several of our staff members who make physical fitness part of their daily lives have discovered powerful parallels between strengthening their bodies and strengthening their faith. We hope their stories encourage you on your own spiritual fitness journey.

JANETTE JOHNSON STEPPING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

A gym can be a pretty intimidating place. Lots of machines. Lots of people. And for me … lots of uncertainty. Since I’m naturally shy, I didn’t know where to begin. Thankfully, someone I knew got me started, and I found a routine.

Like most people, I began to gravitate toward the machines I knew well. But I learned that I need to keep trying the ones I’m less comfortable with if I want to grow stronger. At first, some of the arm machines made me discouraged because I wasn't very good at them. But I kept going back, and little by little, I got better. (And so did my arms!) Some of the machines I thought I'd dislike have actually become my favorites.

I've realized I have the same challenge with my Bible reading. I tend to stay with the books and passages I know best because they're familiar. But if I only read what I'm comfortable with, I'll never know God as fully as I could. Sometimes I don't understand a passage the first time I read it, but when I come back to it again and again, God teaches me something new.

If there's a part of the Bible you find difficult, don't give up. Step out of your comfort zone. Keep reading. Pray about it. Seek the truth. God may show you something this time that you didn't see before—and that’s an exciting way to live.

ASA COPPINGER STAYING FAITHFUL TOGETHER

These days, life is busy with work and a growing family, so the only time I can consistently go to the gym is early in the morning. A friend meets me there, and having him expecting me pushes me to get out of bed on days when I'd rather stay under the covers.

That routine has taught me something important. Lasting growth rarely comes from one great effort. It's built through small, faithful choices repeated over time. The same is true spiritually. Reading God's Word and praying don't always feel extraordinary in the moment, but those daily decisions shape our hearts over time.

I’m grateful for my friend who helps keep me accountable in the gym because it reminds me how much we need one another in our spiritual lives as well. God didn't intend for us to pursue Him alone. Encouragement and accountability from other believers help us stay faithful when motivation fades.

Physical fitness is a steady reminder that discipline today leads to strength tomorrow. And while spiritual growth ultimately comes from God's work in us, He often develops us through the simple, consistent practice of seeking Him day after day.

KARMIN POWELL TRUST THE PROCESS

In 2012, a friend roused my interest in working out by asking me to join her in training for a half-marathon. I jumped in and started training, and when the race day arrived, I was ready! I felt great about finishing, and I loved how my body had been transformed and how much better I felt.

That experience motivated me to take my physical fitness more seriously, and over time, my husband and I built a home gym.

Today, I enjoy lifting weights and walking. I’ve discovered that physical fitness has a lot in common with spiritual fitness. Sometimes I’m tired and don’t feel like exercising. Sometimes I don’t feel like opening my Bible either, but I’ve never regretted doing either one.

Also, the results don’t happen overnight. With exercise, consistency eventually leads to strength and endurance. It’s the same with spending regular time in God’s Word. As I stay faithful, I experience more joy, more peace, and I’m less likely to give in to temptation. That’s exactly what Back to the Bible’s research tells us.

One verse that means a great deal to me is John 13:7 when Jesus told Peter, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” Sometimes I don’t see what God is accomplishing in me at the moment, but I can trust that He is doing a work in my life. My job is to “trust the process” and keep showing up.

DOUG IVEY GOD WILL RESTORE YOU

One big lesson I’ve learned from my workouts is that, after an injury, the goal isn’t to lift heavy—it’s to move again, carefully, consistently, and with good form. The smallest exercises, repeated daily, begin to restore what was lost.

Strengthening your faith after giving in to sin works the same way. When you stumble, your instinct might be to “make up for it”—to push harder, read more, pray longer. But God isn’t your taskmaster; He’s your healer. He’s less concerned with intensity and more concerned with your return. “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

Like rehab, the first step is simply showing up again. Open the Word, even if your heart feels dull. Read, even if your thoughts wander. Pray, even if the words come slowly. These aren’t empty motions— they’re gentle repetitions that restore your trust. Over time, the stiffness of guilt loosens. The weight of shame lifts. What once felt difficult becomes natural again—not because you forced it, but because God met you in the process.

So don’t wait until you feel “strong” to return. Start where you are. Keep the movements small, honest, and consistent. God is not asking for a performance. He is restoring a relationship.

PAULA LUBE KEEP GOING, KEEP GROWING

I go to the gym with my husband about three or four times a week, and our mainstay is the weight circuit. One of the things I love most is the variety of people we meet there – people of every age, background, and fitness level. Everyone has different goals and is in a different place in their fitness journey.

So, when the guy who has more muscles in his neck than I have in my entire body walks by, gives me knuckles, and says, “Way to go!”, it not only makes my day – it also makes me want to encourage someone else.

The same holds true in our spiritual lives. We’re all at different places in our walk with Christ. Rather than comparing ourselves or judging one another, we can encourage each other to keep going and growing!

"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).