This month, Melissa Pena, recommends Gary Thomas’ Every Body Matters to help us dive deeper into the health theme.  She shares more of a summary below so you can be further inspired to worship God with your whole being… including your body.

Every Body Matters Book Review

While the world around pushes for us to lose weight and look our best in healthy and unhealthy ways, the church often opts out of conversations about physical health and well being altogether.  Gary Thomas addresses this trend and dives right into the discussion in his book, Every Body Matters.  Here, Thomas explores from a Biblical perspective the benefits of physical fitness and how it can profoundly impact our lives as Christ followers.  He shares how becoming physically fit can lead to being more sensitive to God’s voice, having more zest for life, and having a fresh attitude of service and love for others.

In addition to discussing the spiritual and emotional benefits of physical fitness, Gary Thomas also shares the true motivation behind all of it. The goal behind getting healthy as a Christian is not that we might look and feel great but that we might be “instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work” (2 Timothy 2:21).  By being disciplined in what we eat and the activities we choose, we train ourselves so that we might be ready (now both physically, mentally, and spiritually) for any good work- for Christ and His kingdom.

I am so grateful to have read this book and very highly recommend it.  Every chapter is infused with convicting truth, motivating perspective, and refreshing candor.  Every time I put the book down, I felt this deep urge to go for a brisk walk or do some sort of exercise.  This book has given me a deeper motivation for being healthy.  It’s not about me just getting thinner and more agile but it’s about walking with my God and serving Him with all my heart.  For me, that’s just about the best motivation I could ever ask for.  I hope you find this book as refreshing and motivating as I did. Press on, sisters!

“Soft people who frequently complain about the smallest annoyances, who give in to laziness and excess, who expect others to work so they can rest, who collapse into passive entertainment instead of active exercise- these are souls custom-made to become all but irrelevant in kingdom warfare. They are no threat to anyone- least of all to Satan.” pg. 127