Have you gotten in your daily exercise?
I’m not talking about running down to the gym and lifting weights, or running miles around the neighborhood. Although, if you’re inspired to do those activities, go for it!
I’m talking about the most important exercise of all, your spiritual exercises with God!
As Paul wrote, in the New Testament,
“Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever” (I Tim. 4:7,8, The Message).
Fitness requires exercise. If you want to stay fit and live healthy, you must exercise! But as Paul reminds his reader, it is spiritual exercise with God that brings the best results.
Each of us, as children of God, have a perfect individuality made in the likeness of God. God is fit, and God’s image is fit. As God’s image, you are fit! Are you seeing this as your truth? Do you understand it? Are you living it out and expressing it fully and abundantly? If not, this is where the exercise part comes in.
Each moment is an opportunity to learn more about your perfect spiritual fit identity. To do this, you might need to do some workouts. For instance, you might need to work out of your consciousness any sense of apathy, laziness, self-indulgence, gluttony, self-satisfaction, an acceptance of less-than-ideal conditions for the body, and other unhealthy conditions of thinking.
As Paul admonished, allow for “no spiritual flabbiness!” Work out! Get active with your prayers and studies. Demonstrate leanness of thought, strength of character, fitness of Mind, and the vitality of Life.
No more delays, no more excuses! It’s time to work-out. Be sure to get in your daily exercise—your daily spiritual exercise. The rewards are worth the effort!
What a wake-up call! Particularly about not accepting less-than-ideal conditions which is so easy to do as it usually feels like the path of least resistance …
Thanks Evan!
Thank you, this is just what I am struggling with. Some days I am so focused, then other days I feel in a mental fog or darkness.
“No more delays no more excuses!”
This made me think of the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. The hare is very confident of winning, so it stops during the race and falls asleep. The tortoise continues to move slowly but steadily and does win the race.
I am going to strive to be like the tortoise l maybe slow but I will be steady.
Thank you Evan
“No spiritual flabbiness.” Thanks Paul, and Evan! Just love this idea. Keeping our thoughts fit and lean and strong is the best exercise on earth. and requires no gym membership! 🙂
Each morning we have a spiritual workout with each other reaching out and sharing ideas.
Thank you all for this mornings workout! Another great walk with you Evan!
Thanks David for mentioning that our daily meetings here on SpiritView can be seen as a form of spiritual workout. The inspired and thoughtful exchange and sharing here has done a world of good for my spiritual muscles, divine Might and Strength and Depth.
It’s not that we don’t always have these qualities, fully, at all times, it’s just that the daily workouts focus us more towards the truth that is ever-present, and away from anything that would deny the Allness of God.
Thank you sincerely Evan for this verrrry important message and great use of metaphor. Happy exercising to everyone!
Dear Evan,
Ever walk through the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State?
The Sol Duc River is salmon’s gateway from the ocean to spawning inland waters.
A wonderful view this morning as I wander around the world from my desk.
Thank you for your reflections while exploring many parks and places.
Thanks Evan. Thinking of Rose’s comment on “anything that would deny the Allness of God” reminded me of this article that elucidates on that:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/ro286fzp80
Thank you Evan for this wonderful reminder! I find it interesting, that several months ago, that sane idea of our spiritual fitness came to my thought. I realized that as God’s creation, we are already fit, spiritually perfect. Not too much or too little of anything, but in perfect balance, perfect harmony. We already express strength, flexibility, discipline, satisfaction, freedom, ease of movement, unencumbered activity, joyful and purposeful movement, grace, clarity of thought, spiritual understanding, complete and consistent well being.
This was a wake up call for me, accepting my already spiritually fit being. It has enabled me to joyfully go about my day, reveling in God’s goodness, and joyfully doing what He guides me to do each day.
From the human perspective, I have been a grandmother for many years. But I was reminded once in a CS lecture, that we are always at the “prime of Life”. We can never be anything but that, as God’s constant spiritual expression of eternal, undiminishing Life. This has enabled me to be alert to and reject worldly suggestions that try to say- “you’re too old to do that anymore” or, “you should slow down now”, or “you’re not strong enough anymore for that task”, etc. With this deeper understanding of our true fit being, I continue to enjoy vigorous landscaping projects, including lifting and mixing heavy bags of concrete , planting heavy trees, laying stone patios, building fences, etc. ball with freedom of movement and with no side affects.
What a joy it is to know we already have God given fitness, which gives us the strength and ability and joy to perform whatever God’s plan for us is each day. It reminds me of this statement from Science and Health- “Whatever it is your duty to do, you can do without harm to yourself.” We can all rejoice in our present perfect state of spiritual fitness, always, endlessly, in the prime of Life!
I wanted to add that in doing any project, especially heavy lifting ones, I always acknowledge God’s presence and wisdom, asking Him for guidance in how to proceed, then obeying the ideas that come. Also, affirming that “I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me”. has been a constant, invigorating comfort.
Thank you Diane and Evan for this great way to start the day!
Thank you Evan and Diane for these ideas and reminders of just what actually keeps us each spiritually fit.
Yes, as many have said, this is a wake up call! Evan, thank you for your rousing words of encouragement to face the day with a sense of control, strength and vitality. As expressions of one perfect infinite Source, we can claim our dominion over the sometimes relentless suggestions of disability and decline. As God’s ideas we are ever youthful, energetic, vigorous, and capable. Thank you for the call to make these our daily affirmations!
Thank you, Evan, and commenters. Wonderful topic. I have found myself thinking that I have been too inactive and need to get out and walk more, etc. That thought was in my mind this morning when I read this blog. Yet, since being introduced to CS, my physical health improved and remains excellent. When I have a limited thought about my fitness I remember hearing a testimony from a college student whose roommate went running every day but she didn’t. Then oneday she decided to join her friend and was staying along side her. Then the friend asked how she could do it since she never exercised. Her response was, “I don’t run to get fit. I run because I am fit.” I think of that often and declare it as my Truth!
I love this Evan and will keep it to refer to. In fact it echoes thoughts I have been having recently to drop the false earth weights being carried around such as ageing beliefs, fear, apathy etc. and go forward with more lightness of thought and fresh spiritual insights. I have never been one who enjoyed going to the gym or for long walks etc and under the 3 national lockdowns we have had in the UK have struggled with physical weight gain and a lot of what you mention above has really hit home with me. Dropping all these earth weights is one of the ways to tighten up any spiritual flabbiness – I love that expression. It really made be smile! Many thanks for this.
Oh Evan! You are wonderful! Thank you!
Such a needed lesson Evan and many of the resulting comments are keepers. Im so grateful for my daily exercise to gain spiritual growth via the SV blog.
‘Mind is the source of all movement, and there is no inertia to retard or check it’s perpetual and harmonious action.’ S&H pg283;4-6 …..EVER❣️
this is so great! THANK YOU!
Coming back to this a day later and celebrating the brilliance.
Than you Evan❣️