Craig T. Owens

Sometimes it’s hard to find a block of time to set aside exclusively for exercise, so I try to build some exercise opportunities into my day. My during-the-day exercise usually is trying to find more ways to walk —

• Park at the back of the parking lot.
• Walk down the hall to someone’s office instead of sending an email or IM.
• Take the stairs.

Lately I’ve been in lots of places with stairs, and yesterday my legs were really feeling it. I learned something from climbing all those stairs: it’s a lot easier going down than it is going up.

Up gets my heart pumping more. Up works up a sweat. Up makes me breathe deeper. Up builds my leg muscles. Up is painful (but it’s a good pain). The soreness in my legs is a reminder that I’ve exercised, that I’ve done something that’s giving me long-term benefits, that I’ve prepared myself for a healthier future.

Solomon wrote, “The path of life leads upward for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave.”

Spiritually I can say up brings life. Up makes me wiser. Up keeps me from going down. Up is painful (but it’s a good pain). If you haven’t been spiritually sore lately, perhaps you’re shying away from a healthy workout.

Let God take you up today. You might be a little sore tomorrow, but the soreness will remind you that you’ve exercised, that you’ve done something that’s giving you long-term benefits, that you’ve prepared yourself for a heavenly future.