Your Fatherhood Needs Your Exercise, Eating, and Physicality to Shape a Life of Love

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Jul 1, 2025

Explore the vital link between physical health and intentional fatherhood. Discover how physical discipline intertwines with spiritual growth, stressing that our bodies aren't just vessels but vital to our discipleship. Learn to prioritize rest, balance eating habits, and embrace rigorous exercise, recognizing the importance of nurturing both body and spirit. Delve into personal stories and practical advice for dads to enhance their well-being, ultimately fostering deeper connections with their families through holistic health and disciplined habits.

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INSIGHT

Body-Spirit Unity in Discipleship

Humans are a divine union of body and spirit according to Genesis 2:7.
Our bodies are essential to discipleship and imitating God's love, not just shells to be ignored.

INSIGHT

Mind Needs Body for Health

Mental health depends on integrating brain domains through both top-down thinking and bottom-up bodily practices.
The mind is like a garden needing physical care to reintegrate and find spiritual and mental shalom.

ADVICE

Prioritize Rest and Sleep First

Prioritize getting consistent, good sleep as your entry point into caring for your body.
Embrace rest as a God-given necessity, not a weakness, to sustain your fatherhood and work.

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Believe it or not, caring for your physical body is essential to becoming the intentional father you're called to be.

In this episode, we explore the deep connection between physical discipline and spiritual formation — and why your body isn’t just a shell, but an integral part of your discipleship. We push back against the gnostic idea that separates the material from the divine, grounding our conversation in Genesis 2:7, where God breathes spirit into dust to form a whole human being.

Drawing from Justin’s upcoming book, The Body Teaches the Soul: Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Holy Life, we talk about the spiritual implications of everyday physical habits — from how you eat and sleep to how you rest and move. We also highlight the link between physical health and mental well-being.

Like a gardener entrusted with land he didn’t choose and weather he can’t control, you’ve been given a body — with all its genetics, limitations, and challenges. But just like a garden, it’s worth tending.

We encourage you to prioritize rest as the foundation of physical discipline. Step away from the pendulum swing between indulgence and shame around eating, and embrace a rhythm that allows for both fasting and feasting — as well as the steady habits in between. And finally, push your body through physical exercise, knowing that pain and endurance often form what comfort never could.

This isn’t about self-optimization. It’s about faithful stewardship — of the body God gave you, and the life He’s called you to live.

Scripture Mentioned: Genesis 2:7, Romans 6:13, Genesis 3:6, Romans 6:13, Romans 12:1

Books Mentioned: The Body Teaches the Soul: Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Holy Life by Justin Whitmel Earley

Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalfatherhood.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from.