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It’s Easier to Stay in Shape
I missed a few weeks of workouts at the YMCA and wasn’t looking forward to “getting back into the swing of things.” I had perfectly good excuses for not going…Vacation Bible School, meetings, a cold, and yes, the self-indulgence of sleeping in. But as I approached the entrance, I knew that the next hour wasn’t going to be easy.
Even though I started out on the less demanding exercise machine, it amazed me how quickly I was out of breath and how much I struggled to finish. Unfortunately I realized, once again, that it doesn’t take long to “get out of shape!” The good news is that it isn’t taking nearly as much time and effort to get my stamina back!
I couldn’t help but consider the parallel in my spiritual life. Although I try to be diligent in exercising the seven Habits of Effective Disciples—our spiritual benchmarks at Grace—there are times when I “fall out of the habit” because of busyness, distractions, or even indifference.
Let’s face it…during the summer months, the regular routines and disciplines sometimes “go out the window.” Vacations, kids’ schedules, weekend family events, lighter workloads, and the relaxing carefree feel of summer can impact our regular spiritual fitness. It’s easy to “let things go” and think, “I’ll get back to that later!” So my worship habits, daily devotions, time spent with other Christians and serving in a ministry slide a bit or stop entirely.
Can you relate? Do you have some of the same challenges in your spiritual journey? Do you find it hard to keep a daily routine of spiritual fitness during the relaxing time of summer? Well…I’m assuming that you do and would invite you to join me as I get “back into the swing of things.”
This summer, Jeannie and I will load the kids up for a trip to Pittsburgh for a family reunion. I think I’ll make it a priority to find a local church to worship at while we’re away (Habit: Worship). I think I’ll bring a daily devotion like Christ in our Home–Light for Today to use on the road (Habit: Quiet Time). And maybe if I keep my eyes open, the Lord will provide opportunities to serve my family and others in different ways (Habit: Serve). Although I’m out of my regular routine, I can still keep spiritual fit.
What about you? Are there ways for you to adapt and modify your regular spiritual habits so that you can keep your spiritual fitness? Take time to visit our website and listen to some of the sermons from our summer series: Asking the Hard Questions about Faith, God, and Living as Christians?
We could wait until the fall months to get back into the groove, but why? It just will be harder! Coming from one who doesn’t like the challenge of getting “back into shape”, I invite you to join with me in striving to stay both physically and spiritually fit this summer!
Here we go….
In Him,
Pastor Mark
P.S. Looking ahead to fall, consider reserving Wednesday evenings through the winter for a New Testament Survey Course I’ll be teaching. It’s going to be good and a lot of fun! Remember: Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.