Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV
Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him,“Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips. Hosea 14:1-2 ESV
Confession: I have gotten out of shape. Really out of shape!
Here's the thing - I knew I was out of shape, but I had no idea how badly out of shape I was. Not until I began trying to improve my condition did I realize how hard it was going to be.
Over the past few years, I have done a little physical exercise. I have occasionally gone for a "run" either on a treadmill or outside. (By run, I mean short periods of slow jogging sandwiched between longer periods of walking - not "Chariots of Fire" running!) Every now and then I have even tried to do a little strength training. Sometimes I've even worked out for several consecutive days. Because I had done a little occasional exercise, I figured I was doing "okay" - better than a lot of folks do.
But I recently decided it was time to try to put in a little more effort. I tried "running" for a few days. I noticed that I was a little slower than I used to be and got winded a little quicker, but I wasn't all that surprised. I expected to see gradual improvement, and figured I'd soon be in decent shape. Because of weather, getting out to run was becoming difficult, so I decided to pull out some old workout videos and work out at home. I tried one that I had purchased at a thrift store a while back, and it went pretty well, supporting my false sense of my actual condition. So after a couple of days, I was short on time, so I went with my old standard video I used when I just wanted to get in a quick workout... And reality slapped me in the face! I was sweating like crazy just a couple of minutes into my ten minute workout; I couldn't do even one push-up correctly; I only managed about half the expected number of repetitions on most of the exercises. It was pathetic!
Sadly, the same has been true of my spiritual condition. By going through the motions of church attendance, reading a Bible verse or two every morning, listening to Christian music, and occasionally reading a book by a Christian author, I was able to convince myself that I was doing "okay" spiritually. But as I have tried returning to some of my old spiritual "exercises," it has become clear that I have gotten very "out of shape". Things that used to be second nature - Bible study, consistent prayer, a meaningful quiet time - now require much more effort and focus. It's just not as easy as it used to be.
I am working diligently at getting into better shape - both spiritually and physically. Since I did not get out of shape overnight, I am certain that I won't get back into shape instantly. I am blessed to have a very flexible schedule right now that is affording me the luxury of taking my time at studying the Bible each morning. After that I'm able to get in a physical workout. It is my great prayer that I will be able to firmly re-establish good spiritual disciplines during this time that will continue when life gets busier again.
I hope you find yourself in peak condition, but if not, there's no better day to begin a new shape-up plan than today. It's nothing too profound today, but it is...
...Just a thought...
