10 Joyful Movement Verses

“I need a really good reason to workout,” she said, bobbing in the pool as we chatted and the kids played.

“I agree! I always need to know why I’m doing what I’m doing,” I responded, and continued, “I think we tend to get the idea that working out is always supposed to be like a Boot Camp, and most of us need a lot of motivation to get ourselves to a place of pain and getting yelled at.”

I asked her what she liked to do for exercise and how that might have changed over time.

Eventually, our casual summer conversation was interrupted by an impromptu cannonball, and we were in the splash zone.

We moved on with our day, but the conversation stuck with me. Here was a woman who wanted to dig in to the purpose, the source of exercise. She wasn’t one to jump into a fitness routine just because it’s trendy. This is a wise position to take, so let’s dig in!

Instead of being a have-to drudgery or measure of our performance identity, we at Joyful Health Co see movement as a gift, a natural overflow of our well-made bodies.

And since “[e]very good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights“ (James 1:17) we know that hardships can be halved and joys doubled when we give thanks for the gift of movement because His gift to us is an expression of how God loves us. So ultimately, movement is not a way to earn approval, but it is God’s expression of His approval for us in Christ.

Scripture for Health and Wellness

Here, we want to offer 10 Scriptures* pertaining to joyful movement to pair with Aubrey’s Food Freedom Verses list.

As I discuss in my Fitness Verses blog post, the Bible doesn’t go into detail much about how we should structure our workout routine. Instead, we need to broaden our view first of movement and begin to see movement as an overflow of who we are rather than an overbearing commandment to carry out our own strength.

If the Bible is God’s Word to us and we know God is love, then let us always interpret His Words through the lens of love. His Words are never condemning or burdensome. If you start feeling that way, there is an invitation for you:

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Let us, through the Word, always come back to rest in Christ so we can rise up in His strength.

*Please note that since these are individual Scriptures pulled from their original context, we encourage you find the verse in your Bible so you can understand the fullness of what this verse means and how we can appropriately apply it.

10 Joyful Movement Verses

We have offered a very simple explanation of how these verses can apply to your movement journey. We encourage you to write down your own applications to offer back to God during your joyful movement practice.

1. Fear not what you can’t do, but work with what God has already given you: “[F]or God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7

2. Train through the view of eternity: “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8

3. Our way and strength starts with the heart: "I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!" Psalm 119:32, ESV

4. Enter in to the song of all creation: "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12, NIV

5. Celebrate God’s strength when you feel weak: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness...for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10b

6. Let the source of your power be rooted in God’s joy: “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

7. Do not give up! "For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity." Proverbs 24:16, ESV

8. Move together! Your body is part of the greater Body of Christ: “[T]hat you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,” Ephesians 3:17b-18

9. Look to the Spirit for real victory: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6b

10. Ultimately, our greatest reward and Redeemer is Christ: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith..." Hebrews 12:1-2a

Printable Joyful Movement Scriptures

This post, along with the Food Freedom Verses, are a sample of our digital Starter Pack.

The Starter Pack digital download will help you get practical with printable cards filled with applicable Scripture and prayers for the table and workout spaces to help you walk out your faith.

There are 16 food verses with a prayer to set at the table, and 16 movement cards that include a prayer, an intention, and an exercise.

We have also included a 5-session workout video series to show you how we incorporate the cards into movement sessions and to help you transition into grace-fueled joyful movement.

I love to refer to these cards in my workout space to remind myself and my clients why we move. Reading Scripture and praying a simple prayer helps shift our hearts to a place of worship and strengthens our relationship with God, which is eternally beneficial!

What are your Joyful Movement Verses?

We would love to hear from you!

1. What Scriptures are you able to hold in your heart and work out in your body as you move?

2. Did any of the above surprise you as anchors for joyful movement?

3. How do you like to move with the Lord?