The same way that not doing physical exercise will cause your body to get out of shape, not doing spiritual exercise will cause your spirit to get out of shape. It is easy to let the day to day concerns fill up your life and take away from the time you need to stay spiritually fit. Here are some things to do to help you to get back into spiritual shape.
1. Study the Word
There are many places in the Bible where it says to continuously study the Word. Phrases such as “Study to show thyself approved unto God” and “in his law doth he meditate day and night” tells us this. We need to stay constantly in God’s Word so we can avoid the ups and downs that most people go through. This does not mean you will not have trials, but you will be in contact with God who knows what you should do to go through those trials. This leads into step 2.
2. Endure Hardship
When you do have trials, get tough. Read the Bible more, not less. Pray more, not less. Shout more words of victory, not words of defeat. This is when you need to keep up your shield of faith. Keep trusting in God’s Word. He will pull you through.
3. Be Strong in the Grace of God
It has been said that grace is God’s unmerited favor or God not giving to us what we deserve. This is part of it but there is a lot more to it. Titus 2:11-12 says that grace has appeared to all men teaching us that we should deny ungodliness and live soberly, righteously in this world. So, at the same time God is not punishing us for what we have done wrong, He is teaching us what we should be doing. To know what God is saying to us, though, we need to be listening to Him. Spend some time each day praying and listening to God for instructions for the day.
4. Simplify Your Life
There are many things that take up our time including work, school, extracurricular activities, family time and many other activities. These activities may not be bad things but if they take up so much of your time that you do not have time for God, then you need to make some adjustments. You need to have time each day to pray and read your Bible so God can speak to you and direct you.
5. Fellowship
The people you fellowship with will determine whether you are lifted up or pulled down. You need to fellowship with people who trust God. That will build you up and help you to stay close to God.
If you spend more time with people who do not know God, they will drag you down. This does not mean you are to isolate yourself from the world, but you need to make sure you spend enough time with God and those who know God so you can lift up others without being dragged down.
6. Continue On
Now that you have started on the path to spiritual fitness, you need to keep on. Do not give in to temptations to quit. Continue doing what you know to do. The result will be a life overcoming those things that come against you and living a victorious life.
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