Have you ever tried to get back into working out after a long break? It has been four months since I’ve been able to work out because of my ankle injury. I started back this week with weight lifting and I have to say I feel like a wimp. Just before I injured my ankle I was considering purchasing more weights because I had worked my way through all of the weights I had. This week, I’ve had to start with the smallest weights I own and they’ve been difficult.
The same can be true in our spiritual walk. If you’ve gone a long time without regularly meeting with the Lord or if you’ve never had a quiet time, I don’t recommend you start off with reading a whole book of the Bible in one sitting nor have a two hour prayer session. You’ll get frustrated and quit before you even get started. Take it slow, one step at a time. You don’t want your time with the Lord to be something you dread. You want it to be something you look forward to, eagerly anticipate.
Just like working out is important for us to be in the best physical health we can, spending time alone with Jesus is critical for spiritual health. Even Jesus, the Son of God, knew He needed time alone with the Father [Mark 1:35]. If the Son of God needs it to get through His day, we certainly do.
When the disciples walked the earth with Jesus, He was their teacher. He used the Word of God to teach, rebuke, correct, and train them [2 Timothy 3:16]. When we pause to read and meditate on the Word, we are allowing Jesus to be our teacher [Jesus 1:14]. There is no better source available to us. When we take time to quiet ourselves before Him and soak in who He is and what He has to say to us, it changes us [Psalm 46:10].
It’s time to begin your spiritual workout program. Your trainer is none other than Jesus. The tools you need are the Bible, an open heart, and a willingness to sacrifice time each day to learn and be filled. Your spiritual health is depending on it. Are you ready to begin?