From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16 NIV

Do you love your body? Your body ‘of work’? Your body of which Christ is the Head?

Some of these are harder than others. We might wince as we read back our words. Or perhaps smile with pleasure at the labour of love invested in our writings or recordings. Loving the body of Christ can be joyous. Until someone is prickly or gives us a hard time about something we believe in.

Maintenance Required

Loving our own literal and actual body though? Well that’s a whole thing that I’ve managed to avoid looking at too hard over the years. But this past year, I realised that love her or hate her, to ignore her any longer would be perilous! My body required some attention. Not punishing with harsh dieting, but building up lovingly so that she can support me. Then I can do what I need to with my family and my ministry. Plus accomplish regular tasks of daily living without fuss. 

Church ministry involves much sitting: at desk, in meetings, in homes, in the car and when I’m not sitting, I’m standing still or still-ish. My body had become weak and prone to backaches, knee aches and stiffness. I couldn’t  carry the bags of groceries easily and lifting a weighty suitcase into the car or up onto the overhead rack was not possible. Something needed to be done. 

Consistency is key

So I researched and joined a gym. Oh sister! I joined a Crossfit gym so that I had an instructor and a class to keep me accountable! 

My body has done her work. I have shown up and lifted weights, dangled haplessly from the bars, swung kettlebells and pedalled till my legs melted away. 

At first, as my muscles woke from slumber, they screamed in protest, nagging for days after as arms objected to push ups and stomach rebuked the efforts of crunches. 

Pushing a bar-bell loaded with a few pounds of weight above my head, transferring power from my legs to boost it through my arms wasn’t possible, they were not connected. I needed more crunches, sit-ups and swinging from the bar to make the muscles join up to transfer their power. 

I need you to know I’m no advert for the gym and we laugh lots at my and my mom buddies’ attempts to match the moves of the young ones who are not dealing with decades of neglected fitness. We roar with laughter at the very notion of 20 ‘toes to bar’ five times each in 3 minutes or even a single rope climb.

Small steady wins

This effort began back in January ‘24 and I’m seeing the effects on the outside of my body. I can stand up from the couch with ease, I can crouch to talk to the tinies at church, I filled a suitcase and popped it on top of the wardrobe without even thinking about it… I took the lid straight off a fresh jar of jam! Each part of me is doing its work and I feel strong, I love watching the miracle of my body at work and actively supporting my ministry.

I’m still carrying injuries, I still have much to accomplish at the gym, but I’m loving the body I have —she’s actually quite lovely and surprises me with her capabilities. Loving my body makes me more ready to love the whole body of Christ, and I’m able to exercise to build up strength where I know there’s weakness here too. Even with five decades of living behind me, I’m strengthening my body with love in order to love and serve for as long as possible.