Exercise Your Spirit

One of the requirements of becoming healthy, is have a clean mental diet.

I have found that when I allow maladjusted thinking or belief to take root, I become lethargic, depressed, and unmotivated.  This causes me to eat more, exercise less, and lose focus on accomplishing goals that are important to me because they are goals that I have been called to complete.

These goals include commitment to my faith.  It does not, however, include false security in religion.  So many times Christians become complacent because they fail to exercise their own knowledge in the Word.  Many times we depend on others to tell us what to believe and follow directives set by man and not by God.

This error allows areas of missed opportunities, wasted years of misplaced service, and unneeded stress.  When we allow ourselves to hear the voice of men over the voice of God, we open the door for spiritual and mental disease.

The way to combat this is by diligent study of the Scriptures.  It may seem like an obvious statement, but no Christian need wait for Sunday service or weekday Bible Study.  Reading the Scripture and self-study is just as important as gathering with others of like mind in a church setting.

In this way, a Christian may clearly hear the directives God has for them as an individual. A Christian lifestyle requires service, but this service is not limited to a local church establishment.

Christians should see the entire world as ripe for harvest.  Too many are relegated to zombie Christianity-feeding off the religious knowledge of others.  This creates a malnourished church with no impact on the world.  Nothing is spread but ignorance and death.

It sounds harsh, but observe the “church machine”.  False teachers, huckster preachers, hurting congregants, and a faithless world are simply symptoms of a disease that will destroy its host if left unchallenged.

Healthy spiritual exercise begins with understanding the Scripture for yourself.  Once your spirit has begun to be cleansed, then your body will follow, and you can serve your purpose and meet your God-given destiny.