Working in, Working Out

It’s not pretty. Caring for what St. Paul describes as my aging “temple of the Holy Spirit” is messy. Working out is sweaty, exhausting, and boring. Perhaps that’s the reason Paul had an expansive view of the Lord’s Temple in you and me. When we physically “live in Christ,” Jesus is within us. That means instead of merely going to the gym, our Christian identity empowers us to simultaneously strive toward psychological fitness. This embraces all five elements of human development: spiritual, emotional, physical, social, and mental. When we “work in” while we “work out,” energy comes back to our body. God created us with the potential to change and grow throughout life. Viewing our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors through a Christian lens is simply part of “working in” as God jogs, rows, or walks with us.