Spirituality, A Real Workout

I have just recently begun to work out again. I am taking Cross Fit with my wife Sallie. I have not lifted any kind of weights for over three years. Getting back in that kind of shape is extremely difficult after such a long lay off. I have to gradually ease myself back into it. While I am sore all over, I enjoy the workout and the way it makes me feel afterwards. I ask myself why I ever quit!

Often in our spiritual lives we take time off, and it is extremely difficult to get back into rhythm and shape again. Prayer and growing spiritually is an ongoing effort that takes practice and commitment. When we get out of sorts it is hard to regain the proper motivation to get back in shape again. We have to be intentional about seeking God, and following through with our spiritual disciplines each day.

Spiritual discipline is a demanding work out to some degree. We are always striving to become better at communicating with God and living out our spiritual lives in everyday occurrences. Rather than lifting more weight to get into shape, we learn to dispose of some of the weight we all carry to grow deeper in our relationship with Christ and our neighbors. When we stop or become undisciplined in our prayer and church life our spiritual muscles become weaker and grow in atrophy. God calls us to a life of daily prayer and to live into our community of faith. By doing so we are much more prepared to face the world in which we live. Chrissies cease to overwhelm us, and our anxiety about life calms down. We live not just for ourselves, but also for the greater purpose of the Gospel.

I encourage us all to develop and stay with whatever spiritual discipline feeds our soul. By doing so our lives become much richer and we become better servants of Christ. The quality of our spirituality affects our whole being and the manner of life we live. Therefore it is important to take time for those things spiritual, and thus we find ourselves in excellent spiritual health.