The journey demands that followers of Jesus stay in shape!
In my daily Bible reading yesterday, I finished Deuteronomy. Near the end of the book, at the end of Moses’ life and leadership of the Israelite’s, Moses wrote a song and taught it to the people he was leaving behind.
Part of that lengthy song caught my attention: “But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed!” (Deuteronomy 32.15).
That makes me think of people who don’t stay in spiritual shape. Unfortunately, it’s easy to become complacent and comfortable with the way things are, and simply maintain the status quo. Rather than commit to a life of change and transformation, we remain where we are.
Before we know it, years, maybe even a lifetime, has gone by, and we have grown in the wrong direction. When we’re not in the process of being transformed, we become “fat and unruly,” and we grow “heavy, plump, and stuffed.” It’s something we must constantly guard against, and we guard against it by committing to a life of growth and transformation.
The American Heart Association offers some helpful advice on Following a Healthy Eating Plan. Tips for becoming more spiritually fit and healthy are similar, I think, and may include things like …
Give at least as much as you receive.
Put your faith into action (love God and love people).
Spend devoted time with God every day.
Develop healthy spiritual habits (i.e. disciplines).
Get enough spiritual nutrition, and in a variety of forms.
Avoid things that will make you spiritually unhealthy.
How spiritually fit are you? Is your spiritual health improving? How might you put some of these tips into practice in your own life?