Spiritual Fitness
Spiritual life Spiritual life is the existence of the Holy Spirit of God within a person. The bible describes this as being born-again (John 3:3) and also as being a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
A definition of spiritual fitness I believe that being spiritually fit means that I am spiritually "healthy" and operating at an optimum level, thinking and behaving as Jesus Christ would. "Healthy" can be equated with holiness, so the more healthy I am spiritually, the more holy my life will be.
A definition of holiness To me, holiness means that the Holy Spirit is effectively in control of my actions, thoughts and desires. If the Holy Spirit has very little control over me, then I will sin more often, which damages spiritual fitness. This manifests itself in my life as a lack of self-control, having unholy desires and more easily and more often committing sin.
The pursuit of holiness through spiritual disciplines Living a holy life requires certain disciplined behaviors. Just as physical fitness requires that I engage in physical exercise, so spiritual fitness requires a spiritual kind of exercise. For example, I can't be physically fit unless I weight train and run and bike. In the same way I need spiritual input for spiritual growth and fitness. Prayer and the Word of God and living in obedience to God are the means to spiritual fitness. Let me really stress that I believe it is God alone who prompts, motivates and enables me to engage in the behaviors necessary to become more like him. I believe it is God who accomplishes whatever progress I make in becoming more spiritually fit.
The necessity of God's Word The intake of God's Word, whether through reading, memorizing, studying or meditating upon, is foundational to spiritual fitness. It is the means by which God increasingly reveals himself to me and empowers me to be obedient to him. It is fuel for the soul and truth for the mind. Without a constant intake my desire to be satisfied in God alone will atrophy, my progress in becoming more like Christ will slow or stall and my resolve to be obedient will weaken or cease to exist.
Commitment to The study of God's Word I use many biblical commentaries and reference works to help me study and understand God's Word. One of the ways I utilize them is to write my own commentary on the bible. I refer to many types of theological books for other author's views and also use a concordance to gain understanding from the Greek and Hebrew words from which our bible is translated. I then check other commentaries and compare them to what I have written and either make corrections or be happy that I got it right.
Commitment to reading God's Word I adhere to a specific plan which has gradually evolved over the years. Each day I read through about two chapters in the Old Testament (from Genesis-Job) when I eat breakfast. As part of my morning prayer time, I read a portion of the New Testament. Monday - Friday I read a few chapters in the evening in the Old Testament (from Isaiah-Malachi), and on weekends I read chapters from Psalms and Proverbs. I believe it is important to read through the whole bible over the course of a certain time period and that is what I accomplish with this reading plan.
Commitment to memorizing God's Word I also memorize portions of scripture or whole books of the bible by memorizing a verse per day and reviewing a memorized book daily. I have a specific time of the day and place that I do this. I rebuilt my drawing room to make room for a comfy chair with a side table for a coffee mug warmer. There is a cabinet above where I attached a light on the underside of it. This is a great place to be able to really focus on the Word because it is so familiar with no distractions which makes it easy to concentrate on memorizing.
Commitment to meditating on God's Word I meditate on scripture in my prayer closet, which is a small clothes closet with nothing on the floor and the clothes hanging from near the ceiling. I put a shelf about half way up so that When I sit in there it's like being in a box. I also put a night-light on the wall near the floor so I can see and it's easy to turn off so I can sit in the dark and really "get with God". It definitely is a place with no distractions and nothing to look at but what I want to see, God's word. This I mediate on, savoring every word and kind of praying it to God. I recently put up a sign that says, "The Last Word". I want God to have the last word each day before I go to bed.
Commitment to prayer This consists of intercessory prayer in the morning in which I pray through a weekly list I have for myself and for others (family, friends, my church, missionaries and unbelievers that I know). I also spend time in my prayer closet before I go to bed, going over the events of he day and praying about them, making requests to God and asking for direction and insight. To me, prayer is not only sitting down to pray with a list, or in my closet, but is also consciously living in the presence of God, expressing my feelings and needs to him all day long.
Commitment to persevere Another aspect of spiritual fitness is the effect our circumstances and experiences have on our Christlikeness. This is where the rubber meets the road or where our knowledge and understanding of God through the intake of his Word meets the reality of our circumstances. God manages every single detail of our lives to make us more like Christ. Our beliefs about God (as learned and nurtured from the Word) will determine how we respond to our circumstances and how we respond will determine how God will change us. We must keep believing that God loves us and is for us and has our best interests at heart, no matter what our circumstances or how we feel.
Commitment to being like Jesus Christ All of the disciplines I have described above are just a means to an end. That end being that I would better perceive and experience God, to know him more fully and be more like Jesus Christ. This in itself is the means to my ultimate goal, which is to glorify God by fully enjoying all that he is for me in Jesus. I am radically committed to this way of life and am willing to suffer anything and sacrifice whatever it takes to progress. The result of my satisfaction in Jesus Christ is a compelling desire to truly love people by proclaiming how good he is to everyone I can.
Please contact me if you have any thoughts or questions or even if you disagree and want to express your beliefs or if I can pray for you in any way.
Chilly Willie's Mini Neck Gaiters 2009
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