Getting Spirtitually Fit

Today is the first Sunday in May. It’s the time of year in which many will try to slim down and get fit, trying to shed off all of those unwanted pounds that we have accumulated over the past winter.

A few weeks ago I went to the VA Hospital for my yearly check-up and I was a little shocked when they told me that my cholesterol was high. I told the doctor that I try to eat a healthy diet and work out fairly regular. She asked me what I normally ate, I told her that I really watch my carb intake and that most days for lunch I try to eat a couple of a couple of eggs and some. She then told me that more than likely that that was my problem.

You see, all though eggs have zero carbs, egg yolks are high in cholesterol. So now I am trying to keep a watch on how much eggs I eat.

I decide about a month or so ago to enter in the Kansas State Games and compete in the State Games Wrestling Tournament this summer. As many of you know, I turned 40 year old last year and that places me into a great age bracket for the tournament. I will be wrestling in the 40-49 year age group. So I figured that if I am to compete one last time, this is my chance.

I have about three months to get healthy, in shape, train and loose a little un-wanted weight in order to do the best I can.

I have been thinking about this for a while now and God has revealed a message for us today about just that. Getting in shape, Training, and Losing Weight.

First off, let me talk to me talk to you this morning about Training.

I. Training.

1 Corinthians 9:25-26 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air

To be a successful athlete, you must have a strict work out program. Anything less will not do and you will not be the best you can be.

How you train can be the deciding factor in how you compete. If you barley train, skip corners or half way do it, your success rate drops severely.

But what about us Christians, how can we apply 1 Corinthians 9: 25-26 into our Spiritual lives?

Christians, we should be training as well for our crown and it simple really. Our crown, our reward, our prize is eternal life in heaven with Jesus. But how must we train to get the prize?

Christian living is the answer but is CHRISTIAN LIVING WHAT WE TRULLY LIVING?

Church attendance, reading the Scriptures, Praying daily are great and wonderful things but is this all we should be doing? I think it is more than that really.

Illustration: Talking to my girls the other day about how their track season was going got me to think more about this. I asked them what they were doing in order to compete to their fullest. The answer was the obvious, “Practice 4-5 days a week for an Hour and a half”. But is this really enough? You figure we all have 24 hours in a day and what we do during those hours really matters. Only devoting an hour and a half out of 24 hours really doesn’t cut it. How can anyone expect to be the best they can be at something that they barley train for? Many athletes wonder why they are not performing better when competition time comes around but spend no time doing something about it.

As Christians we too fall into this category to a certain degree. Many believe that church is enough and that we are the best we can be for His service because we go to church once a week. Think about it like this:

There are seven days a week, 24 hours a day. That gives us 168 hours each week total. On average our church service here lasts an hour, and sometimes an hour and a half.

So, on average we spend just in church service alone 1 ½ hours out of 168 hours a week worshiping God. Now I have no idea what y’all do outside of church for worshipping God but I do want you to think about if this. If this is all we are doing, is this enough to have the best relationship with God we can? Are we being the best Christian we can be?

Many of you will be seeing me ridding the bike in the bike around town. I know that I need to capitalize on the time I have in order to stay in shape to compete. Ridding the bike back and forth to the church adds more training into my regiment and will assist me in staying in shape. I can’t just train in the wrestling room for an hour and a half each day and call it good. I will be at the Y, ridding the bike, and wrestling with Lane each day to maximize my training.