SPIRITUAL FITNESS

How to Train Yourself to Be Spiritually Fit.

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Tim 4:7-8NIV

In a family where members live according to godly principles, there are crisis and challenges which you will never hear among them. Godly living will protect your finances and direct the future of your children and those around you. There is the peace of mind that is only possible if you live godly lives. Our main text says that it will make sure that you eventually make heaven at last.

My short time in the sporting world has been of a great benefit to my life and health. One time I was able to escape being knocked over by a vehicle because I side-stepped; the fast move of both legs saved me from danger and I learned this during my training days in boxing sports. There was this news of a commissioner in one of the Nigerian states who fell and died while on a walkout with the state governor. The matter was that the deceased was not used to taking a jogging but joined the governor in a sense of official duty. He died because he was not used to it.

Out text scripture compared physical exercise with spiritual exercise and called on us to imbibe both even though he opined that spiritual exercise has greater benefit. I want to use this opportunity to ask my reader to get involved in any kind of physical exercise on a daily basis because it is a good way to prepare for a healthy old age. Let me add that eating healthy meals is part of the ways to remain healthy and strong. This will be a talk for another day.

Having said that, our emphasis is on spiritual fitness.

The Apostle Paul asked us to avoid two things if we want to develop spiritual fitness because they could distract us;

Godless myths.

There are many teachings going on in the church today that fall into this category; teachings that do not glorify God but only serve to stir up confusion in the mind of the hearers. Such teachings tend to show to the hearers how much the speaker has come to know through reading different books but the teachings do not add any values to their spiritual life or wellbeing. I have come to discover that young Christians are attracted to this kind of topics and, as a young pastor, there is no doubt that Timothy could make that mistake. So, Paul told him to avoid them.

Old wives’ tales.

In this category are those who are always complaining of the many wrong ways the church treated them. Many of these wounded people try to call out what they consider as the errors which ought to be corrected in the church. The error with this kind of people is that they use an experience they had in one church to judge all the other gatherings of believers around the world. Some complain of how some Christian leaders abuse church funds because of what they noticed in the church they once beloved, but they forget that there are many other congregations where the leaders are taking care of the church and members from their person earnings. They are complaining about sin in all the churches because of what they observed in one place but they have not gone round all other congregations to see the difference for a balanced view.

Trying to talk sense into the heads of these people will be a waste of time. The best thing for any serious Christian to do is to avoid them. Don’t even try to engage them in a sensible discussion. These are distractions.

On the contrary, we are called to train ourselves to be godly. Take note that if we are to turn out as godly in this corrupt world, we are supposed to train ourself in that light. That is quite engaging; we are supposed to stand up and get into some things and activities that will direct our life to godliness. It will not be out of place to say that, if my reader is not living a godly life, it only shows that you have not trained yourself to be godly.
It calls for a decision and then positive actions initiated in the area of godliness.

Here are some ways and things you could do as a Christian if you want to be godly.

Prayer.  When we turn to God in prayer, we expose our minds and body to the presence of the Holy Spirit. The more we yield to prayer the more power we have to do good and turn from evil.

Reading and meditating on the bible. As we discipline ourselves to read the bible, our heart is illumined by the presence of the author of the bible and our mind is transformed (2 Tim. 3:16-17, Rom. 12:1-2). PNUR has one bible reading plan. You can ask for it if you don’t have it yet.

Reading and listening to gospel messages. Besides the bible, train yourself to read good Christian literature and listen to gospel messages daily. On the PNUR platform we send out daily messages but some people think that they are too long and others think that daily posts are too many. Instead of complaining, train yourself to read and follow them. Remember it is the same thing as training yourself in sports. Practice will bring you to perfection.

Fasting – just like our main text said, fasting will help you in the physical and spiritual. A believer should fast at least once a week and the PNUR Global Day of Fasting and Prayers every Thursday also provides you with that privilege.

Fellowship – Go to and belong to a body of Christian believers. The bible says that it is wrong if we don’t go to church to have fellowship with others. Heb. 10:25

Christian service – Find something to do in the church or fellowship you belong. It is one sure way to hold yourself accountable and with the desire to measure up to the godly standards in midst of other saints. One area of service is by giving your money to support gospel outreaches.

Preaching – Philemon. Verse 6 said that as you tell others about your faith, you grow in your understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. The reason preachers seem to know more is because they have to study to teach others. The same will apply to you. Preach in your office, preach in the buses and on your street.

Exercising your spiritual gifts. 1 Tim.4:14, 2 Tim. 1:6 tell us that it is our responsibility to exercise our spiritual gifts. The only way to know if the gifts are there is when you pray for the sick or try to cast out demons.

Praying in tongues in a regular occasion. 1 Cor. 14:2 says that we build up our spiritual muscles when we pray in Tongues. Praying in Tongues is also a spiritual disinfectant. If you have not been filled in the Holy Spirit, desire for it and ask someone to pray for you. I received mine through personal prayers.

Have prayer partner(s). This is also very important. Have someone you pray with and interact with in spiritual matters. Someone said, show me your friend and I will tell you who you are. Keep appointment with a small group of prayer partners and be intentional about it. These days you can have a prayer partner in far away place and you pray over the phone.

Beloved child of God, as you follow these simple guidelines, the Holy Spirit will find it easy to control your life and with His strong presence in and around you, you will find it easy to live a godly life.

I would want to get your questions and reactions.

(If you need to join the PNUR network and be added to our ministry WhatsApp platform PNUR Family and Partners platform,  chat with me 0902 826 0695 )

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com