NO STANDING STILL

1 Timothy 4:8

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

                When I crawled out of bed this morning, my legs were stiff and sore. I was a feeling that I do not like, but I understand. Throughout this winter, I was unable to get out and run. Yesterday, with the sun shining and the air warm, I laced up my running shoes and ventured out. I felt the strain the entire way, as I forced my legs to propel me forward. At the end of two and a half miles, I leaned over in my driveway, with my hands on my knees, and panted for breath.

                Over the past few weeks, I have been reminded of a universal truth. That truth is that you never really stand still in life. You are either moving forward or slipping back. For a significant period of time before I left Mankato, I was either running or working out at the gym regularly. During that time, my weight was stable and my waistline was shrinking. Then we made the move. I cancelled my gym membership. My running became more sporadic and eventually ceased. The consequence was that my weight and my waistline began to increase. I am now back to trying to reverse the trend.

                Most of us understand that if we fail to take care of ourselves physically, we will face negative consequences. All of the hard work that I had done in the gym disappeared when I stopped going. But we do not often think that way when it comes to our spiritual health.

                Too often we settle for minimum spiritual effort, then wonder why we are not making any progress. Just like with our physical health, we never really stay the same. We are either growing spiritually or regressing spiritually. We can never really stand still.

                Paul challenged the Philippians to actively pursue spiritual health. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:12-13)

                When I was going to the gym, all the equipment that I needed to be physically fit was available to me. But just having a gym membership was not enough. I actually had to use the equipment. In essence Paul is saying the same thing to us. God has provided for us everything we need to grow strong spiritually, but it is up to us to actually use the resources we have been given. It is not enough to just belong. We need to stretch and train our spiritual muscles.

                If we have been complacent for a while, using our spiritual muscles might hurt a little. We will feel the strain of flexing unused muscles. But the strain and pain are the cost of spiritual strength. If we persevere, and don’t give up, our spiritual muscles will grow stronger. The initial pain will subside and we will again experience the joy. The more that we actively exercise our spiritual muscles, the stronger and more resilient we become.

                When I first went to the gym, a friend set up a routine for me to follow. I was pretty clueless, so I needed a guide to help me make the most of my time. In the same way, we need a guide to help us get the most out of our spiritual exercise. There are many helpful guides available that explain how to use the classic spiritual disciplines in your life. I have learned a few general lessons that can help you get the maximum benefit from what ever “program” you decide to follow.

                Be intentional about what you want to accomplish. People who work out at the gym usually are intentional about what muscles they want to work on. One day they might work on their legs. The next day they might work on their arms. The next on their core. In a similar way, we need to be intentional about what aspect of our spiritual life we want to work on.

                Be consistent. The secret to any exercise program is consistency. The same is true for our spiritual growth. I recommend that at person establish a consistent time and place to engage in the various spiritual disciplines. Having a regular time for prayer, Bible study, and reflection trains our spiritual muscles more effectively. Being engaged in regular times of service allows us to test our spiritual strength. Consistency is the key to genuine growth.

                Use variety. I have been told that if you do the same exercises over and over again, your body adapts and you cease to get the benefit. But if you vary your exercise, you will have greater results. I have found this to be true spiritually as well. We can get into a rut, using the same approach or resources over and over again. After a while they lose their power to challenge and transform us. The key is to add variety to your spiritual exercises. Try different spiritual disciplines at different times. Change how you study the Bible. Use different styles of devotional guides to keep your times with God fresh and alive.

                Keep pushing forward. I began by referring to running. Over the years I have learned that I need to keep pushing myself to go a little farther. Over time I was able to progress from barely running one mile to running a half-marathon. Spiritually we need to keep pressing forward. This will mean accepting new challenges, risking doing things we have never done before, pushing the limits of what we think we can handle. I can tell you from experience that we can accomplish much more that we think we can. God wants to push the limits we place on ourselves to show us His power.

                In life, we are either moving forward or we are moving backward. There is no standing still. We can not stand still in our spiritual life either. If we want to have strong spiritual muscles, we will need to actively work at them.

Philippians 3:12-14

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.