“For 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 Timothy 4:8
I love to be outside. I think that fervor for being active in the great outdoors was graciously grown in me by the Lord, and then He used that to attract me to camp ministry.
It has never been hard for me to want to be doing something consisting of moving and playing and working outside. I like to run, swim, climb, and jump—all things I get to do as a part of my job at camp. You would think after all these years of being physically active that I would be in near Olympic athlete level shape…well, maybe not that high of a level, but definitely in ‘good’ shape.
But physical activity is only a part of living a healthy lifestyle. It is actually the easy part—at least for me. What is hard is the DIET!!!! Oh man do I love nachos, pizza, ice cream, fast food, and SWEET TEA! Faith, Fun, Friends, and FOOD!! Can I get an ‘AMEN’?
While these foods are fun and easy and yummy, if they are all we eat, there is no way we will be healthy.
You know, eating correctly is not complicated. Eat a balanced diet—not just tacos, but spice it up with some bacon-wrapped shrimp kabobs every now and then (just kidding). But seriously, we need to eat fruits and vegetables and take in good fats and proteins. We need to keep a careful watch on how much sugar, salt, and greasy foods we eat. Lastly, we need to eat an appropriate amount of food at meal time, too.
Follow these simple guidelines, and you will be on the road to eating a good and profitable diet that will equip you to be physically fit.
What about our spiritual fitness, though?
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
If we want to be spiritually fit and ready to do the work that God saved us to do (Eph 2:10), then we MUST regularly spend time in the Word of God. In doing so, the Lord will faithfully teach us; He will guide us to proper understanding of life; He will correct us when we stray off course; and He will train us to be more like Jesus Christ.
How are you doing with your Scripture diet?
Is it balanced? Do you spend all your time in one area of the Bible—the Gospels? Paul’s letters? Psalms?
Do you get most of your information from a third-party source like a commentary or devotional book?
Do you only take in God’s word when the preacher teaches on it at church?
For a believer to build his/her life into something pleasing the Lord, it first takes faith (Heb 11:6). We can only live a life worthy of the Lord by trusting in Jesus Christ. We then humbly open His Word daily and prayerfully read, study, memorize, and mediate on it.
A good picture of what happens when we delight in what God says is found in Joshua 1.
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Joshua 1:8
spiritually fit—to be ready and equipped for the work the Lord has for us to do, then we must spend time studying the Bible.
Practical tips for getting into God’s word:
Make time for it. If it is not already a habit, then you must set aside specific time to get with the Lord.
Start small—set aside 7 minutes or so. Start by praying—thank the Lord for His word and ask Him to teach you something. Then, read for 5 minutes and close with a prayer of thankfulness. Write down something that stood out to you and think on that passage throughout the day.
Get a reading plan. (I prefer to read the Bible chronologically and found a plan in a free Bible app on my phone). This way you will take in all of Scripture and not just the most comfortable parts.
The main thing is to be consistent—do this daily. Build the discipline to trust God enough to open His word and see what it says.
We feel better and our bodies function better when we eat the right foods. If we spend time in God’s word faithfully, we will also be successful in living a life pleasing to Him.
Enjoy this post? We would love to hear your thoughts. You can also check out a previous Spiritual Fitness 101 post here: Never Train Alone.
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