{"id":1470,"date":"2014-09-13T15:46:49","date_gmt":"2014-09-13T15:46:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chadstutzman.net\/?p=1470"},"modified":"2014-09-13T15:47:46","modified_gmt":"2014-09-13T15:47:46","slug":"spiritual-fitness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chadstutzman.com\/?p=1470","title":{"rendered":"Spiritual Fitness"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Race<\/a>Recently I ran races on back to back weekends.\u00a0 First it was a race called Rough & Rugged which was a 5k cross country, trail, mud kind of race.\u00a0 I finished but was exhausted and struggled along the way.\u00a0 Then the next weekend I ran a 10k on a flat course.\u00a0 Again I finished but struggled and had to reach deep to keep pushing myself. After I finished that second race I made the comment that these races are much harder when you don’t train properly.<\/p>\n

You see I had been running once a twice a week in preparation for both of these races.\u00a0 I also did nothing between the two races and I felt it on race day.\u00a0 I know this because at one time I did train hard and went into similar races in much better physical condition.\u00a0 I ran better times and felt better after the races.\u00a0 The preparation I put in made a difference on race day.\u00a0 I was both mentally and physically ready.\u00a0 That was not the case with these last two races.<\/p>\n

It is similar in our spiritual lives, when we are staying connected to God and feeding our minds the truth, it is much easier to recognize lies and deal with the difficulties of life.\u00a0 It’s the things we do day in and day out that prepare us for those big moments in life and those small moments that make a big difference.\u00a0 Those crucial conversations, the big decisions, the temptation that comes out of no where or the unexpected tragedy.\u00a0 When we are not training spiritually those things can knock us down and take us out.<\/p>\n

So here are some spiritual exercises we can all do to keep fit both spiritually and emotionally.<\/p>\n

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  1. Pray<\/strong> – This is a very powerful way to train.\u00a0 It has been proven to reduce stress and it’s a great way to express your heart to God.\u00a0 How incredible to know that the God of this universe wants to listen to what is going on in your life right now.\u00a0 Short prayers throughout the day or longer prayer times when you able are great ways to stay spiritually fit.\u00a0 I like to use ACTS when I pray: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.<\/li>\n
  2. Reading the Bible<\/strong> – For some this is a challenge, because they tried it and didn’t understand what they were reading so they gave up.\u00a0 Keep trying, try a different translation, try listening to it, but keep trying.\u00a0 the translation I’ve been reading lately is the New Century Version.\u00a0 I just read through the New Testament in 30 days and am now reading through Psalms in 30 days.\u00a0 You might not be able to read that much so set a goal that works for you.\u00a0 Find a time that you can read for 5-10 minutes and try to stay consistent\u00a0 When you miss a day, just pick it up the next.\u00a0 Pray before you read and ask God to help you understand and to pick something up that he wants to tell you or teach you.<\/li>\n
  3. Go to Church – <\/strong>I know that sounds simple, but unless you make that a priority in your life you will only go when it suits your schedule.\u00a0 Today many people only go to church once or twice a month.\u00a0 That’s good but your missing a lot by not going every week.\u00a0 I know life happens and I don’t expect people to be in church every time there is a service, but it should be high on your priority list if you want to be fit spiritually.\u00a0 Find a church that challenges you to grow and get involved.\u00a0 Don’t settle for comfortable, because it’s hard to grow and train and get better when your comfortable.<\/li>\n
  4. Volunteer at your Church and in the Community – <\/strong>When you make a commitment to volunteer it gets you out of your comfort zone and into making a difference through the local church and through good local organizations.\u00a0 This is one of the best ways you can grow spiritually.\u00a0 It will help you to serve others and be part of something bigger than yourself.\u00a0 Serving increases your responsibility and develops your character.\u00a0 It also allows you to use your gifts and abilities to make a difference.<\/li>\n
  5. Get involved in a group – <\/strong>When you meet with other people to build relationships, learn, and care for each other it stretches you and pushes you to grow spiritually, relationally and emotionally.\u00a0 When you open your life to some other people it brings a new level of accountability and connection that often leads to growth.\u00a0 Find some other men or women or couples that you can get to know better, have fun with, have spiritual conversations and pray with.<\/li>\n
  6. Listen to Messages – <\/strong>There is incredible communicators out there.\u00a0 Find someone you connect with and start listening to there messages.\u00a0 Several that I like a lot are Andy Stanley<\/a>, Craig Groeschel<\/a>, Jon Weese<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  7. Read – <\/strong>I already mentioned reading the Bible, here I’m talking about reading blogs, articles and books.\u00a0 Some people avoid reading because they hated in in school. I’m not saying you have to read every day, but try to start reading because it’s a great way to get fit spiritually, mentally and emotionally.\u00a0 There are great resources out there that can help you improve your marriage, parenting, finances, work life and build your faith, develop your character and grow your leadership.\u00a0 Here are three books I’m currently reading.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n