The Intentional Spiritual Life
God rules over all, and yet He knows my name and longs for relationship with me. Is growing that relationship worth the effort? Absolutely!
The older I get, the more I realize the importance of being intentional about my health. As a result, I try to eat nutritious food and workout at a gym at least three times per week. Some mornings I’d rather sleep in, but I know my body will feel sluggish if I choose my bed over a bike or elliptical machine For me, and probably for you, intentionality is vital to fitness.
The same is true about my spiritual life—intentionality is the key to spiritual health. And so, I spend time alone with God every day. I read His Word, I journal the things I learn through it, and I invite His presence into every thought and action.
These actions are neither a chore nor religious obligation
Rather, I view them as a privilege and joy to develop friendship with the God of the universe. Imagine! God rules over all, and yet He knows my name and longs for relationship with me. Is growing that relationship worth the effort? Absolutely!
Psalm 105:4 says, “Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.”
Talk about the spiritually intentional life! The words search and seek are active verbs. They tell us to “look carefully through something, trying to find what is there or hunting for something lost or hidden.”
If we want to be spiritually fit, we need to be intentional about it…continually, not just when we feel like it. We need to value Jesus and seek Him diligently. Money, career, position, stuff, and even ministry will try to lure us away, but we need to make, and keep, Jesus as our priority.
When we do, we find His strength for life’s difficult situations. We learn how to respond to prickly people in a God-honoring way. We discover wisdom for major decisions. Every aspect of our lives benefits when we’re spiritually fit. What do you think? Is the effort worth it?
Question
What actions do you take to be intentional about your spiritual fitness?
Know you are loved,
Grace
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I agree wholeheartedly. I find that I need/want that quiet time with God, and over the years I have come more to see it as a relationship than a requirement. It is also a good time to quiet my heart and listen. A few years ago my husband and I learned about contemplative prayer, and we try to exercise that as part of our quiet time as well.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Twylla. Without intentional spiritual actions, we’ll turn to flab!
The world has countless hurting people, and opportunities to show compassion are endless. Let’s see beyond our own needs and tend to the needs of others. Blessings to you!
Being spiritual will characterize you as a person with a lot of optimism, which will benefit you in so many ways. First, you will strive for personal growth. You will focus on values and will work on yourself to become a better individual. Secondly, you will flourish into a person full of compassion. You will be able to face challenges in life with creativity and resilience. Plus, you will appreciate little things in life, and complaining will not be in your vocabulary. Lastly, spiritual people understand their life experiences. They will find learnings in every failure they encounter, which will deliver them from depression. Overall, spiritual health affects the overall wellness of a person. If you find a great way to improve it, you will develop harmony in your inner self and the outside world.
Hi Eric. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here. There’s alot to be said for being spiritually. Faith plays an important role in whether or not we truly flourish in life. I’ve found that faith in God gives me stability and hope for every situation in life.