Exercising our spiritual muscles
Exercising our spiritual muscles
For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
1 Timothy 4:8
When it comes to physical exercise, I will be the first to say how much I genuinely enjoy exercising. When I first started my fitness journey over 10 years ago, exercise felt like more of a chore. Now, I look forward to exercising. Of course there are some days when I have to really push myself to work out because I don’t feel like it. However, overall I enjoy it and it makes me feel really good, mentally and physically.
I say all this to say that my journey walking with the Lord has been very similar. Although I was raised in the faith and have had a relationship with God before I even entered the world, I began to stray away around the age of 16. When I found my way back to Christ in my mid-20s, that is when I realized the importance of not just spending time with God when I felt like it, but spending time with Him on a consistent basis. Some seasons even require extended quality time with God.
At first I looked at it as more of a chore. I felt forced and obligated. It also felt like I was crossing something off of my to do list. I felt like I had to do the same thing with God everyday. The words of the bible were not really coming alive for me. They were just words I read because I knew they were beneficial for me spiritually. Now, I do not believe this is a totally bad thing. I believe that we should do things we do not feel like doing because they will benefit us later. Discipline is truly greater than any temporary feelings or emotions. However, now that I have matured in my relationship with Christ, just like I matured in my relationship with exercise, I have come to realize both can be genuinely enjoyed.
I have come to a place where like exercise, I genuinely enjoy spending time with God. I like talking to Him, I like listening to Him and I really enjoy reading my bible. Are there times where I don’t feel like reading or praying? Of course! But these are just fleshly feelings. I know once I read and pray, those fleshly feelings that did not want me to read or pray will actually end up being gratefulness for having shown up in spite of not wanting to.
This is why we don’t make decisions based off of our feelings. This is why we don’t follow our heart. The bible says, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? - Jeremiah 17:9.
Now, going back to our anchor verse in 1 Timothy 4:8 - For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. I love exercise and I am grateful for my health. However, I know that exercise is not the reason for my health. The Lord is. I know this because there are many people who exercise and follow more balanced diets than I do, but still face severe mental health illnesses and body diseases. Many “healthy” people still deal with cancer, diabetes and other internal issues. I am not saying they are going through this because they do not walk with the Lord, every situation is different. I am saying that true health and wellness comes from and starts with God.
Even though some worship the gym and bodily exercise, we know from God’s word that it does little. What does a lot is godliness and spiritual exercise.
So, how do we exercise spiritually?
Fast
Fasting is a great way to exercise spiritually. Fasting spiritually is a discipline that has so many benefits. When we fast, we consecrate our flesh so that we are able to feed our spirit. In turn, our spirit grows stronger. Fasting can break strongholds and push forth breakthroughs. Some blessings can only come from fasting and prayer.
“And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”
Mark 9:28-29
“Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
Matthew 17:21
2. Pray
“Pray without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17
The bible instructs us to pray without ceasing. Now of course this does mean that we are on our hands and knees all day praying non-stop. This means that we pray when the Holy Spirit prompts us. We pray everyday even if it is “small.” We pray when God wakes us up, whether it is early morning or the middle of the night. We pray when we remember. We pray with others and for others. This is what it means to “pray without ceasing.” We pray because prayer strengthens our spirit!
3. Read God’s words
Lastly, I have said it once and I will continue to say it again and again. We need to read our bibles! We can pray and fast all we want, but without knowing the word of God it is useless. We must read God’s word because it will strengthen our spirit, draw us closer to the Lord and allow us to hear God’s voice. We cannot recognize a voice we are unfamiliar with. We become familiar with His voice by reading His word.
I hope this blog post helped and encouraged you to go out and exercise your spiritual muscles. There are many more things we can do to strengthen our spirit, but these are the basics. Comment below some of your favorite ways to exercise your spirit!