"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and to be careful to keep my laws."
-Ezekiel 36: 26-27

Spiritual Fitness

How is your spiritual fitness? It is amazing the time and energy that we will spend in our lives pursuing or seeking perfection in other things but not in our spiritual growth and fitness. We will spend hours exercising our bodies trying to achieve a peak physical condition. We will work overtime in our jobs doing whatever it takes to get ahead, to be promoted, or to close the big deal. Athletes will spend hours perfecting skills that will enable them to rise to the top, to be champions. We might put tremendous time and energy into pursuing a relationship with an individual that we believe will make us 'happy.' Now I truly believe that there is nothing wrong with wanting to do your best or being the best. We should use our God given talents to make the most of ourselves in life, maintaining physical fitness, performing well at our jobs, etc... But what do all of those things gain us? Without Christ at the center, nothing! The evangelist Paul understood this better than anyone. Before accepting Jesus as His Lord and Savior he had lived his life 'putting confidence in the flesh' and not the spirit. "...If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ..." (Philippians 3: 4) He had risen to the top in his life. A leader of the Pharisees, highly respected by many Jews. It had been his lifelong ambition to achieve this. "... circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless." (Philippians 3: 5-6)

But Paul came to understand that without Jesus at the center, without spiritual growth nothing else mattered. "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God is by faith." (Philippians 3: 7-9) How about you? Do you believe this? Do you want to improve your Spiritual Fitness? Then change your priorities. Make time in your life to spend with God. Take time for spiritual exercises. Set time in each day for prayer. Make time in your life to read the Bible and to study God's Word and Truth. Strive to grow spiritually in your life. It will take time and have periods of ups and downs. "Not that I have already obtained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3: 12) Paul understood that and he tells us to 'press on.' What will Spiritual Fitness gain you? Read for yourself, "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8: 15-17) I believe that is something worth pursuing! How about you?

I pray that all is well with you. Please let me know if you have any prayer concerns or praises. Have a great week and remember to smile :), the Lord loves you!

In Christ,

Shan D. Hartsough

"Not that I have already obtained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."
-Philippians 3: 12

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