Giving Your Spirituality a Workout

by Rod Hetherton

I just got back from the gym. I hit the upper body today. I did 4 to 6 sets on chest, back, shoulders, and arms. I then rode the stationary bike for 25 minutes to get in some good cardiovascular work. Boy was it a hot one, I must have downed about 50 ounces of water in that hour and a half. There sure is a lot that goes into giving your body a good workout. What would it take for a good "workout" of your spiritual life?

Time to Deflate

Workout your spiritual life -- what does that mean? It is easy for most of us to comprehend giving our physical bodies a good workout, but it may not be so easy to see that our spiritual lives may need the same attention. Many of us, especially my "non-religious" friends, view the spiritual path as one that just comes and goes as we go about our daily life; God is with us and when we want to talk we are sure He is listening.

But would this attitude work for the physical self? How about for the mental or emotional self? As someone who has been lifting weights on and off for many years, let me tell you that you can't just "go about" your daily life and just expect to have rock-hard abs and killer biceps.

In fact, just before I turned 30 I did just that. I had been simply going about my life when I ballooned up to 260 pounds. Yes, I am over 6 foot, but I was just plain getting fat. Ten weeks later I was down 25 pounds, and let me tell you it was hard. NO, I didn't "go on" a diet, but I did have to change my diet -- change the way I was eating.

In any event, no more Doritos and ice cream as a late night snack. Drink plenty of water. Eat six small meals a day. Good cardiovascular work at least three times a week. And hit the weight room with any spare time. You see, it was a choice I had to make. Running out of breath while going upstairs at age 29 was a scary feeling.

I think we would all agree that getting fit is a choice, and staying fit is a choice made on a daily basis. When we need to get physically fit, we must choose certain foods, drinks, and activities. When people's mental or emotional health is off track, one good choice that can be made is to see a therapist. But how do we make good, healthy spiritual choices?

Choose a Path

If you believe in God and are regularly nice to people then you must be on a good spiritual path, right? This is very tough for me to say, but no. Don't get me wrong -- you are probably a great person and God loves you tremendously, but that doesn't mean that you are nurturing your faith life. Like nurturing your physical life, nurturing your faith life means daily choices.

Let's start with the Big Guy (or Gal, if you prefer -- this is a spirituality article). Do you talk to God? Why? When? Where? How often? Does this occur as a conversation, prayer, song, or something else? Does God talk back to you? What does God have to say? Does God actually speak to you or does this communication take place through signs and symbols?

How are you treating people? And I don't simply mean are you "nice" to others? More specifically do you see God in all that you encounter? If God is the ultimate Creator and we are the ultimate creations; then we should be reaching out to all the people that we come in contact with daily. This means friends, strangers, enemies, and weirdoes. Reflecting God's light to other people is the best way to reflect God's love back to heaven.

Spirituality of Church

Are you going to church? Wait, don't leave, I have no agendas -- I promise. I know many people who consider themselves "spiritual" yet balk at the idea of going to church weekly. Maybe you want to label church-goers as religious. I challenge you to take out any dictionary and I bet you will see very little difference between the definitions of religious and spiritual.

Going to church should be a spiritual event in your life. It is a time for prayer, song, greetings, and moments of silence between you and your Creator. Can you get anymore spiritual then that? YES! If you are Catholic, then you are also able to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist, which brings you closer to Christ Jesus. Just remember that with the right frame of mind, attending mass could be one of the most spiritual events of your entire week.

Find God

Of course, there are other ways to encounter spirituality. One way many people find spirituality is through nature. Getting away from the big city and calming and centering yourself is a great way to enter into prayer. Many people also see God in nature. I could tell you story after story of how different people I know have encountered God through birds, animals, streams and other such wonders of the earth.

During one period in college I started reading Toa Te Ching, a Chinese book of wisdom based on Taoism. This Chinese philosophy endeavors to show the way the world works and how energy flows. One great and easy read was "The Toa of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff. This gave me great insight into Taoism and how a simple life is often the most rewarding. I found many similarities in the principles of Taoism to that of Christianity. It was a great boost to my spiritual life.

It doesn't matter how you find and encounter God. My message is just that you go do it. Make the choice. Pray. Watch some birds. Read some philosophy. Help a stranger. Talk to God. Go to church. Do such things and do them often and watch your life blossom in God's love. Just as the physical body needs water, nutrients, and a good workout, your spiritual life also needs nurturing for growth. You can rest assured that God has been trying to talk to you for a long time and you'll hear God's call a whole lot clearer with regular spiritual workouts.

Life Applications:

What shape is your spiritual life in?
What daily choices do you make that bring you closer to God?
If you mapped out a "training" program for your spiritual life right now, what would it look like?

Copyright 2002-2007 by Rod Hetherton
All rights reserved.