Have you set a goal to eat better, exercise, and/or lose weight this year? Good for you.

Set the same goal for your spiritual life.

Too many of us are spiritually fat, weak Christians.

1. We don’t eat properly, In other words, we don’t dig into the Scriptures. We might read a devotional occasionally, but we let others spoon-fed us. We accept at face-value whatever the preacher says. I’m not asking you to take a cynical stance against your pastor, but I am asking you to think through what he says in light of Scripture.

We know little about Paul’s church planting among the Bereans, but we do know they were considered noble. Look at why they were noble:

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).

They didn’t simply accept what Paul said; they dug into the Scriptures themselves! Do the same. Read Scripture. Study it. Join other Christians in studying and discussing the truths of God’s Word.

2. We don’t breathe properly, Praying should be as regular and continual as breathing. “Pray continually” (1 Thess. 5:17). Of course, we pray over meals and when someone is sick, but what about times of uninterrupted, focused prayer? We pray when “the situation calls for it” (i.e., we have a need), but let’s make prayer more than a vending machine. Plan a time to talk with God. Just because. And make prayer an ongoing attitude throughout the day.

3. We don’t exercise our faith. Too often we just go through our daily routine without stepping outside our comfort zones. We don’t think about what we’re doing; we just go through the motions of living. Instead, let’s build our faith by acting on what we read in God’s Word … getting involved in the lives of others … sharing Christ.

Scripture calls us to be diligent in our walk with Christ:

““We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Heb. 6:11-12).

The Christian life calls for a continual work out. We become weak if we don’t continually exercise our faith and seek to grow. Paul told us “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” We don’t “work out our salvation” in order to earn it; no, we work out our faith like we work out our muscles in the gym. A physical work out strengthens our bodies, and Paul called us to do the same thing with our spiritual lives: work it out, strengthen it, and become stronger in the faith.

Let me give your four goals to exercise and build up your walk with Christ.

  • Set a goal to read the Bible. Reading 3-4 chapters a day will get you through the Bible in a year. Pray before you read, asking God to open your eyes. Pray after you read about the truth God showed you in your reading.
  • Set a goal to pray. Make dependency upon God your #1 resolution.
  • Set a goal to be in a Bible study group. Spiritual growth happens as we engage with others and discuss Scripture. Join a group or start one.
  • Set a goal to get involved with the community. Build relationships with your neighbors and be the presence of Christ to them.

Share this post with others and encourage their spiritual growth.