Biblical Perspective on Body Stewardship and Healthy Aging

I’ll be honest – it took me way too long to understand what God really meant when He called our bodies temples. https://www.rushwalter.com/the-biblical-case-for-functional-fitness-how-god-designed-us-to-move/ For years, I thought it was just some nice metaphor pastors threw around to make us feel guilty about eating donuts. Boy, was I wrong. Even though donuts are tasty, they are one of the most unhealthy foods, but that’s a topic for another day.

It wasn’t until I hit my late thirties that the lightbulb finally went off. I was working with this client, Angela, who was 68 and could outwork most people half her age. She’d come in every Tuesday and Thursday, bright and early, with this incredible energy that just radiated from her. One day I asked her secret, expecting some fancy supplement routine or diet plan.

“Honey,” she said, stretching her hamstrings like it was nothing, “I just figured out that God gave me this body for a reason. If I’m gonna serve Him well, I better take care of what He gave me.” That simple statement changed me, and I’m glad I was listening to her.

Understanding Our Bodies as Temples

First Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” I probably read that verse a hundred times before it really sank in.

The temple wasn’t just any building – it was the most sacred space in all of Israel. https://www.rushwalter.com/understanding-our-bodies-as-temples-of-the-holy-spirit/ People traveled hundreds of miles just to worship there. They kept it spotless, maintained it constantly, and treated it with the utmost respect. Now imagine God telling you that your body deserves that same level of care and attention. Would you listen to Him? More importantly, would you take action?

This revelation completely shifted how I approached fitness, both for myself and my clients. We weren’t just trying to look good in swimsuits anymore. We were maintaining sacred ground.

I remember this one client, Ben, who came to me after his doctor warned him about pre-diabetes. He was 52, overweight, and honestly pretty discouraged. When I shared this temple perspective with him, something clicked. “So you’re telling me that every time I choose a salad over fries, I’m actually worshipping?”

Exactly. And that mindset transformation was what finally got Dave to stick with his program long-term. Application of God’s Word is always a positive and healthy step.

The Aging Process Through Biblical Eyes

Here’s where a lot of Christians get confused. They think aging automatically means declining, like our bodies are just slowly falling apart and there’s nothing we can do about it. https://www.rushwalter.com/faith-over-fear-overcoming-exercise-anxiety-after-50/ But fortunately Scripture paints a different picture.

Psalm 92:12-14 tells us, “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.” Notice it doesn’t say we’ll just survive in old age – it says we’ll bear fruit and stay fresh.

I’ve seen this played out countless times in my three decades of training. The clients who approach aging with a biblical stewardship mindset consistently outperform those who just accept decline as inevitable. They understand that while our earthly bodies are temporary, we’re called to maintain them well for as long as we have them.

Practical Stewardship in Daily Life

So what does body stewardship actually look like day-to-day? It’s not about becoming obsessed with perfect nutrition or spending three hours at the gym. https://www.rushwalter.com/nutrition-and-stewardship-of-the-body/ Trust me, I learned this the hard way. Even a donut once in a blue moon won’t hinder consistent proper nutrition, and I can confirm a 3 hour gym workout won’t be super positive either.

Early in my career, I thought stewardship meant pushing my body to its absolute limits. I was training twice a day, eating nothing but chicken and broccoli, and basically treating my body like a machine that needed to perform at 110% all the time. Guess what happened? I burned out completely, injured my lower back, and ended up more unhealthy than when I started.

That’s when I realized stewardship isn’t about perfection – it’s about consistency and wisdom. Proverbs 27:14 reminds us that “a prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.” Smart stewardship means making sustainable choices that honor God while actually improving our quality of life.

Movement as Worship

One of the biggest game-changers for some of my clients has been reframing exercise as worship. Instead of viewing workouts as punishment for what we ate or desperate attempts to look younger, we started seeing movement as celebrating what God designed our bodies to do.

Our muscles were created to contract and extend. Our cardiovascular system was designed to pump blood efficiently throughout our bodies. Our joints were made to move through full ranges of motion. When we exercise regularly, we’re literally using our bodies the way God intended.

I had this client, Carol, who was 61 and had been sedentary for years. She was convinced she was “too old” to start exercising. We started with simple chair exercises and five-minute walks. Six months later, she was going camping, hiking trails and playing with her grandkids in ways she hadn’t done in decades.

“I feel like I got my body back,” she told me. “And more importantly, I feel like I’m finally using it the way God meant me to.”

Nutrition as Fuel for Service

The food we eat directly impacts our ability to serve God, family, and others effectively. When we’re constantly tired, mentally foggy, or dealing with preventable health issues, it limits our capacity to do kingdom work.

I’m not talking about following some restrictive diet plan or cutting out entire food groups. God gave us taste buds for a reason, and He created a world full of delicious, nourishing foods. The key is approaching nutrition with the same wisdom we’d use in any other area of stewardship.

Daniel 1:8-16 shows us a perfect example of this. Daniel chose foods that would keep him and his friends healthy and sharp, and they ended up outperforming everyone else. https://www.rushwalter.com/the-daniel-plan-for-christians-over-50-holistic-health-gods-way/ They weren’t trying to win a bodybuilding competition – they just understood that their physical condition affected their ability to serve God and their family well.

Rest and Recovery: God’s Design for Renewal

Here’s something that took me years to figure out being an Alpha male: rest isn’t lazy – it’s biblical. Genesis 2:2-3 tells us that God Himself rested on the seventh day and made it holy. If the Creator of the universe modeled rest, who are we to think we don’t need it?

But rest means more than just sleep, although that’s crucial too. Our bodies need recovery time between workouts. Our minds need breaks from constant stimulation. Our spirits need quiet time to connect with God.

I used to feel guilty about taking rest days. Wouldn’t a truly dedicated person push through fatigue and train every single day? Then I started paying attention to what actually happened when I ignored my body’s need for recovery. My workouts got worse, not better. My mood tanked. My immune system crashed, and I’d get sick and weak.

Smart stewardship means listening to the wisdom God built into our bodies. When we’re tired, we rest. When we’re hungry, we eat nutritious food. When our muscles are sore, we give them time to repair and grow stronger.

Addressing the Vanity Question

Let’s tackle the elephant in the room. Is caring about our physical appearance vanity, or can it be part of biblical stewardship?

I struggled with this question for years, especially working in an industry that can be pretty appearance-focused. First Samuel 16:7 reminds us that “people look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” So does that mean we shouldn’t care how we look at all?

Here’s what I’ve learned: it’s all about motivation. If we’re pursuing health and fitness to gain approval, show off, or because we’re never satisfied with how God made us, that’s problematic. But if we’re taking care of our bodies because we understand they’re gifts from God, that’s stewardship.

I tell my clients to ask themselves: “Am I doing this to honor God and serve others better, or am I doing this to feel superior or gain attention?” The answer usually makes the difference pretty clear.

Dealing with Physical Limitations and Chronic Conditions

Not everyone has the same physical capabilities, and that’s important to acknowledge. I’ve worked with clients dealing with arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, mobility issues, and countless other challenges. Does body stewardship look different for them? Absolutely. Does it become less important? Not at all.

Paul talked about his “thorn in the flesh” in Second Corinthians 12:7-9. We don’t know exactly what his physical limitation was, but we know God’s response: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul learned to work within his limitations while still serving God effectively.

Some of my most inspiring clients have been those who refused to let physical challenges stop them from practicing good stewardship. Like Dillion, who has rheumatoid arthritis but still showed up three times a week for modified strength training. Or Elly, who uses a walker but never misses her aqua aerobics class.

Stewardship isn’t about achieving some perfect physical standard. Almost all of us have had some type of physical malfunction. It’s about doing the best we can with what God has given us, whatever that might be.

Building Sustainable Habits for Long-term Health

The biggest mistake I see people make is trying to change everything at once. They’ll start some extreme program, stick with it for a few weeks, then crash and burn completely. That’s not stewardship – that’s just setting yourself up for failure. Even I’ve done it with certain physical objectives and regretted it later.

Real stewardship is about building habits that you can maintain for decades, not just until summer vacation. Start small, be consistent, and focus on progress rather than perfection.

Maybe that means taking a ten-minute walk barefoot on the grass after dinner instead of going straight to the couch. Maybe it’s choosing water over soda with lunch three times a week. Maybe it’s going to bed thirty minutes earlier so you’re not exhausted the next day.

These small changes might not seem like much, but they compound over time. And more importantly, they’re sustainable. You can walk barefoot for ten minutes when you’re 45, and you can still walk barefoot for ten minutes when you’re 75.

The Eternal Perspective

At the end of the day, our earthly bodies are temporary. Second Corinthians 4:16-18 reminds us that “though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” We’re not trying to live forever in these bodies – that’s not God’s plan.

But while we have them, we’re called to be faithful stewards. Every day we have strength, energy, and mobility is a gift we can use to serve God and love our family and others well. When we take care of our bodies, we’re maximizing our ability to do kingdom work here on earth.

I think about Angela, my client who inspired this whole journey for me. She’s 73 now, still going to the gym twice a week, still radiating that incredible energy. She volunteers at her church, plays with her great-grandchildren, and serves others in ways that many younger people can’t match.

That’s what biblical stewardship looks like – not perfect bodies or endless youth, but faithful management of what God has entrusted to us, for as long as He gives it to us.

The question isn’t whether you’re the strongest or fastest or most attractive. The question is: are you being a faithful steward of the body God gave you? Because that temple you’re living in? It’s the only one you’re going to get. So let’s polish it up.

When you would like customized exercise instruction send me an email or give me a call and we will implement a fun fitness plan to help you be the best version of you to serve God with joy. Understand that I have worked with heart surgery patients, folks with lower body infirmities since birth, and more than a few folks in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s who had previously never exercised in a formal setting. Each of them were amazed they could have fun exercising and within a few months had gained strength and flexibility they thought they would never experience. And my joy includes looking forward to helping you.

Thanks for reading this fitness blog, I hope you enjoy a healthy day, Walter