Planning a Spiritual Workout

What in the world is a spiritual workout? It's not a phrase you ever hear, right? Many people shudder when they hear the word workout at all because they hate to exercise. Just like our bodies, our spirits need to work and grow. I think of my spirit and soul like I think of my muscles - if I don't work them regularly, they will atrophy and die. If I work them out, they stretch, they grow, and they gain strength. Is it comfortable? No, but growth doesn't happen when we're comfortable. Something us exercise nuts say is that you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable if you want to make changes. The same saying is true for spiritual growth. We can only grow spiritually if we work those "muscles" and stretch outside our comfort zone. 

So how do we plan a spiritual workout? Here are some ideas that might help you plan a workout time with God. 
1. Start with prayer... every time. 
If you want your workout to be successful and beneficial to you, pray about it first. Ask God to open your heart to his word so that you can learn what he wants you to. 
2. Choose your resource. 
What are you going to work on in this workout? Are you working your way through a particular book or study? If so, go into it ready to learn and grow. Make sure that anything you read gets tested in scripture. If you read something that bothers you, go back to the Bible and find the truth. If you're reading your Bible, do so with a heart ready to absorb God's words of wisdom. 
3. Don't give up, even when it gets hard.
Just like a physical workout, you're going to encounter things that make you want to give up sometimes. Maybe you find a passage of scripture that you just can't make sense out of or an author writes something that really bothers you. When you hit these points, DON'T QUIT!!! Go back to #1 and repeat. Pray over whatever is bothering you and ask the Lord to help you through it. Ask someone for help - your preacher, a trusted friend, teacher, or mentor - you may be surprised at how much another believer can help you through.
4. Set a workout schedule and stick to it. 
If you want to get the most out of your workouts, you have to set time aside on a regular basis to do them. It's the only way you will be successful with any goals you set yourself. This works for both spiritual and physical workouts. You can't crack your Bible open once a year and expect to gain knowledge and understand God's word better just like you can't exercise once a year and expect to gain muscle and lose fat. All of our muscles need to be worked on a regular basis to make a difference, and our spirits are the same. If you want to grow stronger in Christ, you have to work those spiritual muscles regularly and let the Spirit teach and train you! 

I hope you are ready to schedule your spiritual workout now! Don't be intimidated. Every journey begins with a step, and you will only gain strength as you spend more time in God's word.