Training for Spiritual Living
by OaToya James
“If we are ever to develop a spiritual life that gives contentment, it will be because we approach spiritual living as a discipline much as the athlete trains his body for competition”
The author of this statement wrote the best selling book, Ordering Your Private World. The book gives steps on building up your spiritual or inner world so that you can withstand the chaos from the outer world. It focuses on who you are in Christ and developing that relationship so that you can confidently operate in that realm regardless of what is going on around you. But it all depends on your spiritual life.
I agree wholeheartedly with his assessment. We are born sinners; therefore I’m sure you can agree that our initial instincts are not always coming from the spiritual side. We must also keep at the forefront of our minds that we are in the world but not of the world. Romans 12:2 says that we are not to conform to the behaviors and customs of the world, but we are be transformed into a new creature by changing the way we think. So, the spiritual can become our natural response, but it takes growth and maturity in the faith to get to spiritual living.
The athlete, for example, may be born with some natural abilities. But in order to perfect his talent, to get competition ready, or to be the best that he can be he is going to have to train for it. The desire to want to be better leads to discipling yourself to do so.
He may start by watching what he eats. You want to make sure that your diet consists of things that are healthy, and will provide you with nutrients and energy needed in order perform at a certain level. Of course he will condition his body physically by practicing and working out. Always making mental notes of areas of weakness, things he need to improve or work on and then practice to become better at it. He may even have a goal in mind of where he would like to be, what he would like to accomplish. That way he can set his routines accordingly in order to make sure to progress at the rate needed.
As Christians, we should look at our spiritual life in the same manner. Once we are born again, we are equipped with everything needed in order to produce good fruit. But it is in raw form. It must be cultivated. Here is where we take tips from the athlete.
Let’s begin with our diet as well. We must not only watch what we put into our bodies, but heart and mind as well. Remember, Romans 12:2 …let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think… Our food for thought is always The Word of God. We must digest His Word Daily for renewing of the spirit and to strengthen us for our purpose or calling.
We also have to mindful of our weaknesses. We cannot just overlook those areas where we fall short and need attention. Our goal is not just to improve but eliminate these areas if necessary. Our remedy is to not only study the Word, but apply it our life as well. This in conjunction with prayer can line us up to where we need to be.
Setting a goal of where you want to be or maybe just reminding ourselves of what God has called us to do is a good idea for Christians as well. Knowing what we are working towards helps us to prepare better. We can also establish routines that will help us accomplish those goals. Scheduling time for diciplines like bible intake, prayer, fasting, meditation, will be beneficial in obtaining the level of spiritual contentment needed in order to be successful at whatever God has called us to do.
Unfortunately, spiritual living is not natural to us. Therefore it takes work. It takes a made up mind of wanting to maintain a life of spiritual living and contentment. As a Christian, it is essential, as it is the basis of who we say we are, Christ-like. We should all desire a fellowship a communion with our Savior.
Just like the athlete, you may not win every match. You may struggle from time to time during play. You may not even be the best in the game. But you don’t have to have a perfect season in order to win the championship game. Hard work will yield results. And just like that athlete personal achievements helps the team. And that is what is all about for us, that God gets the glory.
April 23, 2012
