February is often an interesting month for me. Being the Type A and Enneagram 3 that I am, I’ve been known to dominate my new year’s goals and dreams up to the end of January. However, by the time February first rolls around, I usually find myself swimming in some sort of life circumstance that derails my best-laid plans for a new year. Maybe you can relate?

This month you will find the theme of “Rise Up” rolling around Revelation Wellness. But before you are tempted to make it all about rising up to successfully meet goals, drop pounds, or increase your bank account in 2019, let us invite you into a deeper, more life-giving definition of this theme.

The idea of rising up from the couch of complacent faith, life, and love really stirs me up. In fact, it stirred me up so much that I wrote a book about it called “Just RISE UP!: A Call To Make Jesus Famous.” Can I be absolutely honest with you, though? I have fallen so very short of this call on my life. My body and my soul don’t always align with what I know in my heart to be true:  it is an act of worship to our good God when I physically partner with Him to rise up and live out my faith and calling. Yes, you read that right. Partnering with God can and should be thought of in both the physical and spiritual sense. Fascinating, right?

How often do we separate our physical and spiritual postures before the Lord?

As someone who wrestles with my flesh on the daily to coax it in the direction of what my soul knows to be Truth, I want to share 3 tips with you as an invitation to RISE UP today!

1)  RISE UP and move. If you’ve heard it said by Revelation Wellness once, you’ve heard it a thousand times. Something happens deep within us when we combine the act of talking to the Lord with the act of physical movement. I can recount many times that the Lord spoke to me in the middle of a Tabata workout or while doing burpees. With sweat dripping off my brow and my soul actively listening for the Lord’s voice, I heard from Him in the very way I needed to that day.

One of the phrases in Scripture used to describe how Jesus interacted with His disciples is that they “walked together.” We also know that in the Garden, Adam and Eve walked with God. Isn’t that interesting? A physical movement illustrates an intimate relationship with the Lord. Yes! Our God is forward moving. So let’s rise up and move forward with Him.

2) RISE UP and rest. I know that this is a contradiction in terms. But isn’t that like the Kingdom of God? What is first will be last. What is low will be exalted. What we surrender to in rest will flourish because of His power and goodness. Will you sit back and physically rest your body to allow God to heal and nourish and replenish?

3) RISE UP and recount. We often look at food and exercise plans through the lens of what we can’t have or can’t do. Instead of focusing on the negative, ask God to illuminate what you can do with a healthy and whole lifestyle. When the world says you are laying down sugary treats, God says you can pick up more emotional and chemical balance by eating what is fresh. When you are tempted to begrudge time spent on a brisk walk or jog, God offers you a moment to get your heart beating and your blood pumping, reminding you what it can feel like to live fully and abundantly. Rise up with trust that our Creator made us for movement and holistic living for our own good and His glory.

As we rise up to make Jesus famous in our actions, minds, and through movement, we align with this glorious portion of Scripture from Psalm 145:4-7.

“One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.”

The time is now. The generation? OURS. You and me. We have been given the divine invitation to partner with God to declare His greatness and glory. It may seem too tall of an order. I get it. But He is bigger than our fears and trepidations. He is so very worthy of our rising up.

Will you rise up and move? Will you rise up and rest? Will you rise up and recount how good He is?

Let’s do it together, amen!?

Sarah Martin is a wife, mom, author, speaker, and a wannabe artist. She loves to grab friends by the hand and encourage them toward a vibrant life with Jesus, confident faith and glorious purpose. You can read more from Sarah on Instagram @sarahfmartin.

Thank you for joining us this week on the Revelation Wellness Blog! We hope you enjoy this blog series for our February theme, RISE UP! Are you interested in Revelation Wellness Instructor training? Have you been feeling the tug? It may be the time for you to RISE UP and download a packet today!

Workout with us in this #wednesdayworkout! For more workouts like this, visit RevWellTV!

SAVANNAH’S DRUMSTICKS – “RENEW, RESTORE & RISE” 

 Grab your wooden spoons, your paint stir sticks, whatever you can click together and get ready to move to the beat. This workout will be a surprisingly fun and challenging time! May your heart and lungs move in time with His beating love for you! (ALL LEVELS) (PSALMS 51:10-12)