“Spiritual Fitness”
Three Steps to Spiritual Fitness
7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Tim. 4:7-8
“Take the time and the trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.”
1 Timothy 4:7 (Phillips Translation)
To say that our nation is caught up in a fitness craze is an understatement. Physical fitness has become a billion dollar business in the United States and continues to grow. At any given time you can find the latest “infomercial” on television featuring the latest fitness product on the market. I especially like the creative names of the fitness equipment. For example:
· “The Thigh Master”
· “The Abdominizer”
· “The Gut-Be-Gone”
Most of the fitness products also come with a training video … but wait! There’s more! If you order now we’ll send you free our latest training videos on: “Abs of Steel” and “Buns of Steel”. And for our first fifty orders we’ll also include “The Elvis Presley Guide to Nutrition; the Later Years”.
Whether it’s “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” with Richard Simmons or Billy Joe Jim-Bob’s “Country Line Aerobics”, they all promise the same thing: If you’ll follow their training plan, you can be physically fit in a matter of days. And just when you think you’ve seen it all … While flying to Washington, DC last week, I was flipping through the “Sky Mall” catalogue when I noticed a picture of a man hooked up to several electrodes on various muscles on his body. The advertisement stated that gyms and fitness centers are a thing of the past. All you need to do now is to hook up to the various electrodes that would send an electric current to stimulant the muscles and work them out while you do your work.
Most who know me know that I am a big believer in being physically fit. One of the highlights of my day is to get to the gym and go through my regular workout routine. But physical fitness doesn’t happen overnight. It takes developing a personalized regular routine and staying with it. And it’s certainly not as complicated as all the “infomercials” make it out to be. In fact, I endeavor to follow a simple format for physical fitness that I learned from my seventh grade gym teach James Briton:
1. Eat a Balanced Diet to Maintain Energy.
2. Regularly Exercise to Build Muscular & Cardiovascular Systems.
3. Get Proper Rest to Recharge Yourself.
First Timothy 4:7-8 says:
7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Tim. 4:7-8
I like how the Phillips translation states verse seven:
“Take the time and the trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.”
1 Timothy 4:7 (Phillips Translation)
In other words, it’s good to be physically fit, and it’s even better to be spiritually fit. But just how do you get spiritually fit? Funny, but I haven’t seen too many “infomercials” on spiritual fitness. Hey, who knows? Maybe we’re on to something here! We could develop some training videos on spiritual fitness:
· “Prayers of Steel”
· “Sermons of Brimstone”
What does it mean to be “Spiritually Fit”? And how do you get there? Well, I don’t think it’s that difficult. In fact, I would like to suggest a very simple approach. And although I don’t plan on developing an “infomercial” any time soon, I think the following three steps can help you get spiritually fit.
Three Steps to Spiritual Fitness
(1) Spiritual Fitness Requires the proper Spiritual Nutrition.
Just as the body needs the proper daily nourishment of food, spiritual fitness requires the proper daily nourishment of spiritual food. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus stated:
4 "It is written: ’Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’" Matthew 4:4
In other words, man is more than just a physical being. He is a spiritual being as well as a physical being. And just as the physical side of him needs nourishment, so does the spiritual nature.
In the Old Testament there is a story about how God miraculously provided food for the Israelites during their forty year journey from their slavery in Egypt to their entering the promised land.
11The LORD said to Moses, 12"I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ’At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’ "
13That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was.
Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. 16This is what the LORD has commanded: ’Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’ "
17The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.
19Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."
20However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.
21Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much--two omers for each person--and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: ’Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’ "
24So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25"Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any."
27Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? 29Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out." 30So the people rested on the seventh day.
31The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Exodus 16:11-35
Notice some of the stipulations on the Manna or the “Bread of God that came down from heaven”:
(1) It was to be gathered once a day.
(2) It was to be consumed for that day and not to be kept over … it would spoil if kept.
(3) On the sixth day, they were to gather twice as much for the Sabbath.
In the New Testament, Jesus referred to this manna while talking to some religious leaders:
48I am the bread of life. 49Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:48-51
Notice what Jesus is saying:
(1) “I am the bread (manna) of life that came down from heaven.”
(2) Whoever consumes this bread will live forever.
(3) This bread is Christ’s Body which is given to save the world from their sins.
66From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. John 6:66
“How do you ‘consume’ Jesus, the Bread of Life?”
1. By believing in his death, burial & resurrection … that He is God who came down from heaven.
2. By inviting Christ into your life (Partaking in his Body – Communion).
3. By daily reading His Word the Bible.
All three of these points are vital, but it’s this third aspect that I want to focus on concerning Spiritual Nourishment.
One of, if not the greatest step to get yourself spiritually fit is to learn to feed yourself on God’s Word, the Bible.
Job . . .
12I have not departed from the commands of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
Job 23:12
Jeremiah . . .
16When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
O LORD God Almighty.
Jeremiah 15:16
David . . .
103How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psalm 119:103
12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
I would like to submit to you that reading God’s word
and combining it with faith is food for the soul!
It’s better than Oprah, Rosie, Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jerry Springer all put together! It’s better than a Halequin Romance Novel! It’s better than a John Grisham Classic! You can surf the internet … You can surf the oceans waves, but you will never find anything better as food for your soul than the Bible, The Word of the Living God!
When You’re Down It’ll Lift You Up!
When You’re Lost It’ll Help You Find Your Way!
When You’re Fearful It’ll Give You Courage!
When You’re Weak It’ll Give You Strength!
When You’re Hurting It’ll Give You Healing!
Application: In order to experience proper growth, you must regularly read God’s Word and listen to his voice.
(2) Spiritual Fitness Requires Regular Spiritual Exercise.
Faith is like a muscle; it must be utilized and exercised in order for it to grow.
How do you exercise your “faith muscles”?
· A Saving Faith
17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." Romans 1:17
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephes. 2:8-9
· A Sustaining Faith
7We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor. 5:7
11:1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
· A Serving Faith
3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Romans 12:3-8
(4) Spiritual Fitness Requires Spiritual Renewal.
37:1The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"
I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."
4Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ’Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ "
7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ’This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ " 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army. Ezekiel 37:1-10
· Rest & Relaxation
· Recreation
· Relationships
One of the most relaxing things is a good bath. I think the same could be said of our spiritual state. Sometimes we need to allow Jesus to give us an internal cleansing or “bath” if you will.
Divert Daily
Withdraw Weekly
Abandon Annually
