Exercise Your Faith

Websters Dictionary defines exercise as... let’s be honest we all know what it means to exercise and I’m sure there are many of us who try our best to avoid anything that remotely resembles exercising, because it means actually getting up and having to put in the work.

While exercise is absolutely essential to our health and gives us the strength and energy we need to grow in life most of us would prefer to take the alternative route and enjoy the comforts of our home, leaned back on the couch in front of the TV or a good book. Because why exercise when you could simply not and still have a somewhat decent life. There’s no harm in that...Right? 

The truth is, there is harm in that. I won’t get into all the medical benefits of exercise but studies have proven that exercise has countless medical benefits which greatly improve your physical and mental health. Therefore, when you choose not to exercise you’re actively hurting your body and causing it to slowly deteriorate. Exercising is truly important for a healthier lifestyle, it’s not easy by any means, but if you want to improve your health the best place to start is taking time daily to exercise. 

There may come a point in your life where you feel the same way about your faith. You may go to church every Sunday, read your Bible daily, and go through the motions thinking that’s enough exercise for my faith right? But the truth is, that isn’t enough.

If we chose not to exercise our faith on a daily basis we become weak and stagnant in our faith, we slowly start to lose sight of God and His purpose for our life; it may not seem like your hurting anything at first but this lack of action in our faith causes us to become weaker thereby making us more susceptible to sin. Simply going through the motions isn’t enough to strengthen us in our walk with God. Growing in our faith requires patience, discipline, and daily commitment.

God has a plan and a purpose for us all and if we’re simply going through the motions we aren’t truly living to our fullest potential. The choices we make, not just our actions but even our thoughts attest to our faith in God, what we do and what we say on a daily basis will either bring us closer to God or pull us further away from Him, this includes doing nothing. Choosing to do nothing or not actively living for God will hurt your relationship with Him more than you may realize that is why our actions and behaviors are critical in our walk with God. 

James 2:14-26 says this “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?...You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only…For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

You were not called by God to simply live your life going through the motions of daily tasks and activities but to live by faith, trusting in Him and dedicating your every thought and action to glorifying Him. This means letting go of the control you have of your life and living according to His plans, not your own, trusting that His ways are perfect. God called you for a greater purpose, He desires to do great things with your life and it all starts by taking a step of faith. 

2 Corinthians 5:7 says this “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Trust me, I know exercising isn’t easy, the physical kind or the spiritual kind. I often lose sight of the importance or lack the determination but thankfully we serve a powerful God, one who is loving, caring, forgiving but more importantly a God who doesn’t give up on His children. If you’re struggling to live an active Christian life or find it difficult to exercise your faith, I promise you hope is not lost. It’s never too late to get up from off that couch and turn to God, when we ask Him for help He will give us the strength and motivation we need to live a life that is fully dedicated to Him.

There’s no better way you can express your love for God and exercise your faith than by trusting in Him and committing your life to Him.