Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and His vast strength.  Ephesians 6:10 HCSB

Fifteen years ago, I was in the best shape I had ever been in. I was running long distances and lifting weights. I kept this up for several years. But life happened and my job became more demanding with an unpredictable schedule and I worked out less. I had one excuse after the other. Once I retired, I didn’t take such good care of myself. Last year with the help of my cousin’s wife who is now my dear friend, I got back into a cardio routine. A few months back at my husband’s urging I got back in the gym for resistance training.

What I learned quickly was that I was out of shape. I didn’t have the endurance that I had all those years ago. I also quickly learned that my strength was gone. So, I’ve had to work to rebuild. I have gotten some of my endurance back, but it is a work in progress. I am nowhere near where I used to be. My strength is slowly coming back as I add weight in small increments back into my routine. I let myself get out of shape. I can also recall a time I allowed myself to get out of shape spiritually.

What I want you to think about today is are you in good shape spiritually? There has never been a more critical time in our lives for us to be strengthened spiritually. Our scripture passage tells us that we must be strengthened not by our own power, but by the Lord and His vast strength. We must also have endurance. Hebrews 12:1-2 says that because we have such great witnesses as those found in the Bible that we should run the race with endurance and lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily weighs us down and ensnares us, keeping our eyes on Jesus.

Maybe you have been in great spiritual shape in the past, but life has gotten in the way and weighed you down. Maybe you have had things happen in your life that have zapped some of your faith or your spiritual strength. Isn’t it time that you get back in good spiritual shape? Isn’t it time that you regain the strength and endurance that you had before? Don’t you want to be able to complete the race and be strong? When it is all said and done, we need to be able to quote Timothy 4:7 which says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  We can’t do this if we are out of spiritual shape.

There was a time in my life when my spiritual shape was sort of like a roller coast, up and down. But to be honest with you, living that way drained me. It zapped my strength and made my endurance non-existent. I had to begin my spiritual strength training by first submitting to Christ. I had to be strengthened by the Lord. Years of sinful living had weighed me down and gotten me out of shape. I had to get involved in church and be obedient to Christ. I had to trust God to give me the strength I needed. Philippians 4:13 became my mantra, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Then I had to devote myself to a good workout routine of constant prayer and regular, daily Bible study.

Experts tell us that working out with a buddy or a partner is better and will make us more devoted. The same holds true for a good, spiritual workout. I am happy to have good friends that like to study the Bible. I have a good Bible preaching pastor who shares the truth from God’s Holy Word with us several times a week.

I hope that you are in good shape physically because God’s word tells us that we should be. We are told in Romans 12:1 that we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God and that this is our spiritual worship. We are told in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that our body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in us whom we have from God for we are not our own. We have been bought with a price and should glorify God in our bodies.

If you are out of shape spiritually, there is no time like the present to dedicate yourself to a good regimen of spiritual workouts. Stay in constant communication with your Lord and Savior through prayer and Bible study. Let His Holy Spirit coach you and strengthen you and build up your endurance so that you can stand against the evil forces in this world. We need to be spiritually strong and able to endure and survive in this evil world. Devote yourself to a good, daily, spiritual routine to keep you in good spiritual shape.

Have a great day!