How do I get Spiritually fit?
I bet you never heard of spiritual fitness.
It’s a new year and you probably are setting physical fitness goals and starting new routines to keep your body fit.
That is so GREAT!
I’m cheering you on this year!
However, I do want to bring to your attention something that is even more important; concerning your overall health and the fullness of your life.
We oftentimes overlook that our bodies are not the only part of us that requires conditioning.
Our spirits need to get in shape too!
I have some questions for you.
(Que my infomercial voice.)
Do you feel exhausted emotionally and are you more often anxious?
Does the armor of God not quite fit like it used to?
Are you finding yourself scrolling mindlessly on your phone for hours, trying to feel happy; but you’re just not seeing any results?
I’ve got the solution for you!
In all seriousness, there is a solution!
Are you interested in experiencing a deep confidence in God and peace in every area of your life?
Together, let’s stop doing things that promise happiness but really leave us feeling empty.
Let’s begin to actually experience joy!
There is no magic pill or program that can do this…
It’s time to get our spirit into shape!
Are you ready?
You’re officially in Spiritual Training!
Here is
How to get Spiritually Fit!
We know how to get our body into shape right?
The good ol’ fashioned way and the only truly effective method is to work on three things…
Improve your diet
Exercise regularly
Get plenty of rest
Pretty simple, yet probably the most challenging thing to master, for most of us.
It makes so much sense!
However, because results are lasting and improve your overall health, it will take time and consistency.
Which is why most people opt for a pill or program that makes empty promises of giving you an athletes body in a few weeks….
Real change requires REAL commitment!
When it comes to your spiritual health and fitness, the same commitment is required; if you want to see any real results.
The best method to be spiritually fit is like that of physical fitness!
Improve your SPIRITUAL diet
Exercise FAITH regularly
Get plenty of rest for your soul
Let’s break these down.
Improving your spiritual diet!
We have to be mindful of what food we consume, because food directly impacts our body’s overall health.
Naturally, the more nutrients we put into our bodies, the more nourished our bodies will be.
This principle applies to our soul health as well!
When you feed your spirit nutrients, your spirit will be healthy!
This means that you will experience more fruit of the spirit.
More love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness and self-control!
What do these spiritual nutrients look like?
Spiritual food is consumed through things that have access to our hearts and minds.
Things we can see, hear, and feel both physically or emotionally.
Through those avenues, you feed your mind and emotions and ultimately affects the overall health of your soul.
Just as the quality of the foods that you eat impacts the quality of your bodily health; the same goes for your spiritual health.
If you only eat spiritual junk food, you can’t expect your spirit to be healthy and full of energy.
However, if you consume what produces that fruit of the Spirit, you will see your spiritual health skyrocket!
Learn more about spiritual junk food by taking our quiz:
Be intentional about what you consume visually, audibly and sensorially.
What spiritual food is good for your soul?
“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 8:3 NKJV.
God’s word is what truly fills us!
“For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.”
Psalms 107:9 NKJV.
“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.”
Psalms 63:1 NKJV.
“You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.”
Psalms 145:16 NKJV.
Our soul will never be satisfied without the LORD!
We can try and fill it with entertainment, stimulation and with indulgence in temporary pleasures; however, our souls will always be hungry for nutrients.
Those things are spiritual junk food!
Things that bring instant gratification and pleasure but do nothing for your health.
Our souls can’t live on spiritual Cheetos!
True goodness and rich fulfillment is found when you fill your soul with what it needs…
JESUS!
Does this mean we can never watch anything that doesn’t revolve around Scripture?
Well just as with bodily eating, you can have some things in moderation without them impacting your health drastically.
This really is up to you to ask yourself….
Is that the best thing to consume?Will this nourish my soul?
If you nourish your soul daily and decided to watch a movie with your family and friends or look at social media for 5 minutes, you don’t need to panic about your soul health.
This is your choice, as with your bodily health.
You choose what you consume.
You can’t expect your body to be healthy if you eat nothing but junk and then eat a salad for lunch for the first time in 6 months.
The same goes for your spiritual health!
You can’t feed your souls nothing but junk and expect to see health in your thoughts and emotions.
Now that you’re being mindful of your spiritual diet, it’s time to get moving!
Get your faith moving, that is.
Faith is actually a verb!
Contrary to popular belief, faith is not a feeling or a concept in the mind.
It’s something you do actively!
In fact, scripture puts it in this way:
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
James 2:26 NKJV.
Meaning, if your actions don’t align with your beliefs, your beliefs themselves are empty and lifeless.
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
James 2:14-17 NKJV.
Beliefs are vapor and have no bearing whatsoever if actions don’t prove their solidarity.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV.
Faith proves the existence of the things we believe but can’t see!
For example, someone going straight into their car and starting the engine is actually faith!
Why?
Because that person didn’t pop the hood of the car first to ensure all the parts of the engine are in good working condition before attempting to drive the car.
They didn’t need to see with their eyes that their car was operational; they had faith that it would work.
Their belief was that the car would start and their faith and confident hope was shown clearly through their actions.
see our blog post:
ARE CHRISTIANS REALLY SAVED BY FAITH?
For a deeper dive into this idea of faith verses belief.
Ultimately, we learn in God’s word that faith is an action word!
It’s something you walk in, not just quietly think about.
As with anything you do actively, you need to exercise the muscles that help you do it!
Faith requires exercise!
Skeptic and believer alike use their faith muscles everyday, as people use their body muscles.
The question is, are you trying to get stronger?
If you want to get spiritually fit, you have to consider your muscles… your faith muscles!
We don’t go to a gym to have our muscles stay weak and small, right?
In the same way, we ought not go through life letting our faith muscles stay frail.
We should be working our faith more!
Exercising faith is like working out your body!
In the gym you add weight to strengthen your muscles, but you’re just doing more difficult versions of movements you would do in everyday activities.
Do the same with your spirit!
In uncertain situations, don’t make it easy by seeking ways to get a more desirable result.
We oftentimes take the easiest path, regardless of whether it’s right or wrong, and make decisions that take the least amount of risk possible, to avoid worry or stress.
That’s like replacing your dumbbells with cotton swabs.
What faith is activated there?
Next time you face a crossroads, an obstacle that requires patience or any uncertainty, don’t seek any way to get out of it quickly.
It sounds absolutely ridiculous, but so does doing another push up when your arms are aching from the last set.
Instead of seek the easy way, choose to seek God instead.
Trust Him even if you’re nervous about the future.
Remember that He is God and your situation is not above His capacity to change.
Believe for a miracle when all human understanding says that it’s impossible!
Then be still and know that He is God, He is good and He loves you.
That will get you some serious spiritual gains.
Finally, give your soul some rest.
There is a time for exercising your faith and a time to give your soul rest.
What does this look like?
It looks like a stillness in your soul.
This is the rest Jesus offers.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.””
Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV.
When you’re asleep, you’re not working.
Your spirit does not need to be constantly working in faith.
The soul requires rest in faith as well.
I find that rest for our soul is found when we just sit alone with the Father.
Remember His faithfulness and goodness and let that renew your soul as sleep renews your body.
Wait on the LORD and let Him restore your spirit!
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:28-31 NKJV.
The LORD is working in us, something good… trust Him and depend only on Him.
He will give our heavy souls the rest we all have been longing for.
What do you say?
Do you want to grow in faith in a way that finally gives you sustaining peace, deep fulfillment and joy during even the most difficult circumstances!
Would you like to trust in the God who loves you so much that He died for the opportunity to provide for you, fill your soul with goodness and keep you safe?
Are you ready to get spiritually fit?
Join our Hungry Still? Flock on our journey to spiritual fitness!
Photo by cottonbro studio
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
