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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: WORK OUT (05/20/21)
Recent circumstances led to my having more free time than usual and along with having my regular gym unavailable resulted in me having to come up with an alternate form of activity. I started walking my neighborhood, but I needed more and thus I began developing a work out consisting of walking on the tread mill along with sit-ups and push-ups. Since I hadn’t done the latter two activities in quite some time, I started slowly and built a little bit more month by month. The going was difficult at first and I sometimes was embarrassed by how little I could do, but eventually I found myself growing stronger and the exercise effort became easier. As I began connecting with people again after some time a couple of friends commented as to how good I looked and how much weight I had lost. I was surprised because I hadn’t noticed, but also gratified that my consistent effort had paid off in my becoming physically healthier.

As I pondered this, I realized a spiritual analogy to what I had experienced physically. One of the core tenets of living a successful life as a follower of Jesus is having a regular quality quiet time with the Lord. This involves carving out time to pray, read the Bible, and listen for guidance from the Spirit of the Lord and many complain that lack of time keeps them from doing these things on a regular basis. As a result, many struggle with Christian lives that fall short of what our Lord Jesus called the abundant life. Many times individual believers will start off spending a lot of time initially with high hopes only to have the challenges of life interfere more and more often until their quiet time becomes more and more limited. This inevitably leads to frustration and disappointment which only decreases the likelihood of spending time with the Lord. This sad pattern too often leads to followers of Jesus being sidelined and unable to be the salt and light that God intends them to be.

I believe my experience in learning a new form of physical exercise has direct bearing on an effective plan for developing a successful plan for spiritual exercise. I started slowly and built up more and more. While we are inevitably excited to start something new, it is best to do a little bit and eventually increase until we develop the spiritual muscles required over time. Such an approach helps us to be consistent over the long run and encourages us to draw closer to our Lord Jesus. There is nothing like regular, consistent time to help a relationship grow and flourish. As with my physical exercise, our time spent in the presence of the Lord will inevitably have its impact even if we don’t recognize it. Our lives will be more grounded and we will more likely reflect our Lord Jesus in ways both great and small. As with my friends, others will recognize that we have been with Jesus and our impact in the world will be a positive one. Small choices, when given to our Lord, have the potential for very great reward.
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This article has been read 298 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Cheryl Martin
05/28/21
I firmly agree with what you brought forth. So many times God will speak to us about our spiritual being through what we are doing in the physical.
Thank you for your insights.
Keep on writing.
Laura Manley
05/29/21
This entry kept me interested from beginning to end. It reminded me that yes, when we work out physically, people will see that change. But when we exercise spiritually, people will also be able to see that change. My Pastor taught me many years ago to pray early in the day, as Jesus did and to make a schedule for praying and Bible reading and study. That was over ten years ago. It was great advice! I really enjoyed your writing. Wonderful job!
C D Swanson 
06/01/21
During this pandemic, your story resonates with many who have found themselves in similar circumstances.
Spiritual growth is uplifting.

Thank you for sharing.

Blessings~