Being Restored

Spiritual Concept: Heaven (wk. 3/13)

Reading: Revelation 22:1-5

CrossFit and the Garden

I severely strained my knee two months ago. I do CrossFit.  And . . . there’s a belief out there about CrossFit: it causes injuries. I’m still doing rehab, and the knee is coming along. Not quite ready for box jumps or deep squats, but the knee is slowly being restored to full strength and function.

There’s something deep inside all of us that longs for restoration. We crave it in our bodies (included strained knees), our minds, and our spirits. We chase after health, not just to live longer, but because we sense that we were made for more than sickness, weakness, and exhaustion. That longing? It’s a whisper of eternity. It’s the echo of Eden.

The Bible gives us a beautiful picture of heaven as the place where God will recreate the Garden of Eden—a place of perfect harmony, beauty, and abundance. Revelation 22 describes a river of life flowing through the city of God, with the tree of life on either side, bearing fruit in every season, its leaves for the healing of the nations. No more sickness. No more painful knees or broken bodies. No more struggle. Just life, as it was meant to be.

A Taste of Restoration

While we wait for that full restoration, we’re invited to pursue health and wholeness in the here and now. No, our bodies won’t be perfect this side of heaven, but we can partner with God in caring for the temples He has given us. Fitness, nutrition, rest, and movement aren’t just about aesthetics—they’re about stewardship.

This is where something like CrossFit comes in. At its core, CrossFit is about functional fitness—moving the way our bodies were designed to move, pushing past limitations, and building strength that serves us in everyday life. It’s not just about looking good; it’s about reclaiming the strength, agility, and endurance that were part of our original design. BTW: my knee injury didn’t happen at the CrossFit gym; it happened walking across a busy street in a hard rainfall.  In fact, my sports medicine doctor is convinced my CrossFit-earned level of fitness is the only thing that prevented me from needing knee surgery.

Hope for the Journey

Of course, our ultimate hope isn’t in our fitness routines. Our knees (and bodies) will eventually wear out, no matter how well we take care of them. But that doesn’t mean the pursuit of health is meaningless. On the contrary, it’s a way of honoring the God who made us, of preparing ourselves for the day when all things—including our bodies—will be made new.

So, we train. We eat well. We move. Not just to chase temporary gains, but to live fully, love well, and reflect the beauty of a God who is in the business of restoration. Because heaven is coming. And when it does, we’ll step into a world where sickness, injury, and fatigue are no more—a world where the Garden is reborn, and we are fully alive.

Questions for Reflection:

In what ways do you see your pursuit of health and fitness as a form of stewardship?

How can you shift your mindset from exercising for appearance to training for function and longevity?

What small steps can you take today to better care for your body in anticipation of God’s full restoration?