3 EXERCISES THAT WILL MAKE YOU HEALTHIER, FITTER, & STRONGER, Part 1

Part 1, Aerobic Exercises

Who likes exercising? Who has attempted something that you thought would be relatively easy only to discover that you didn’t quite have the energy needed to do it? The benefits of exercising are not always immediately obvious – especially when you think there’s somewhere else I’d rather be and there’s something else I’d rather be doing! Exercising is often (if not always) inconvenient. It takes time. It can hurt. It can be tiring. It can even be injurious. But it has undeniable benefits. Exercising, (whether it be physical, emotional, psychological, academic, spiritual, financial, social, or intellectual) done correctly, increases an exerciser’s stamina, concentration, strength, capacity, confidence, and enjoyment. It requires consistency, routines, and self-discipline. Many people spend a deal of money and time just exercising their bodies (which 1Tim. 4:8 commends by the way). Others spend even more money and time exercising their minds. But only a few people spend any money or time exercising their spirits. As a result of this lack of spiritual exercise, too many people do not have spiritual reserves, and consequently lack spiritual strength, capacity, confidence, psychological contentment, or the emotional happiness that they would otherwise have had. Yet, this is so unnecessary considering that there are three very simple spiritual exercises that everyone whose spirit has been regenerated can do to remedy this malady. 

 

AEROBIC EXERCISE FOR YOUR SOUL

Every physical fitness coach will tell you that daily exercise which causes you sweat and puff is the kind of exercise that is doing you long-term good. Vigorous physical exercise such as running will cause you to need more air in your lungs which will cause you to puff. Puffing, the act of heavy breathing to replenish your need oxygen helps your respiratory and cardio-vascular systems to become healthier. Interestingly, breathing is the word that the Bible uses to describe how God created the First man.

Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living creature.
Genesis 2:7

For nerds like me, I find it interesting that the word for “spirit” — in both the language of the Old Testament (Hebrew) and in the language of the New Testament (Greek) — the word used means: breath (Heb. ru’âch; Gr. pneuma). Thus, breathing is intrinsically spiritual – especially when we are talking in prayer to God. In Genesis 3 we get an indication that God would regularly meet with Adam in the “cool of the day” by walking and talking with him (Gen. 3:8). Both activities require breathing. In fact, I would encourage anyone to try this aerobic spiritual exercise by incorporating the physically aerobic aspect of walking while trying this spiritual exercise. 

 

EXERCISE #1: BREATHING AEROBIC PRAYER

All people have been created to pray (talk to God). While nearly all religions consider prayer a necessary part of their religious activity, only Christianity sees prayer as a relational connection – a conversation – with God. Praying effectively must be learned. It also requires practice like any exercise. It was when Christ’s disciples had spent weeks with Him that they had observed that Jesus did not pray like their religious leaders. When their rabbis and priests prayed they simply read prayers from books, or recited them from memory—and always did them in public so that others could hear and see them. Jesus condemned this heartless praying!

¶ “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites.
For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners,
that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
¶ “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do,
for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Matthew 6:5-7

This led His disciples to approach Jesus with the request “Lord, teach us to pray.” This is what He taught them and it has been embraced by all Christians as The Lord’s Prayer. Here is my analysis of this powerful spiritual exercise –  

Here’s how you can practice this spiritual exercise –

1.  Start your praying with worship and thanksgiving.
2.  Prayerfully express your surrender to God and His Word.
3.  Ask God to meet the needs of those you love (family, friends, church, neighbours), and also to meet your own needs.
4.  Confess your sins and seek God’s forgiveness for them.
5.  Ask God for the grace to forgive those who you struggle with.
6.  Pray for God to give you a hate for sin and the strength to avoid and resist temptation.
7.  Close your prayer with worship seeking God for Him to be glorified in your life. 

If you should ever draw a blank on #3, then please remember me in your prayers that I might be loving, godly, caring pastor and a Spirit-filled preacher of God’s Word. For experienced pray-ers, this outline of a routine prayer exercise takes around one hour. Some use it as an exercise to pray to our Father throughout their day.

In my next Pastor’s Desk I’ll share Spiritual Exercise #2. In the meantime, happy praying.

Your Pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.

RESPONSIBLE?

Adolescence is a fairly recent concept in the history of mankind. It wasn't that long ago that children went into adulthood without the recently invented phase of adolescence. It was a time when people picked up responsibilities very early in life and then took up more responsibilities as they became an adult. But responsibility is often not expected from adolescents. Who's responsible for this?

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Adolescence now starts at around 13 years of age and goes up into the 20s. It used to be that people left childhood and became adults when they married. Of course, some children grew into adulthood without marrying by taking up responsibilities beyond themselves. People don't become responsible then take up responsibilities - they become responsible by taking up responsibilities. Adulthood means responsibility.

But now we have many young men delaying marriage and family responsibilities well past their twenties. Some cite fear as the main reason. What if I marry the wrong person? What if I get married and they change? What if it doesn't work out? Others cite a lack of incentive to marry and take up their responsibilities to care for a wife and a family. This objection is far more prevalent because it used to be that the Bible's injunction to "keep the marriage bed holy" (Heb. 13:4) was respected by civilised people who understood that marriage was the only God-ordained environment for any sexual contact. Young women, who long for what all young women long for (a man who will love them by being committed to them unconditionally), unwittingly sabotage the fulfilment of their longing by giving themselves intimately to a man who should have expected that such intimacy was only the privilege of the married.

Not even God will suffer a relationship with another without a commitment from them. If a relationship between a man and woman which includes physical intimacy demands a covenant of marriage, how much more does a covenant between a person and God? Indeed, God demands the highest form of covenant with a person which marriage is only a shadow. But oh, the wonderful privilege of being in covenant with God and all the ecstasies that that brings to a person's soul! In all my years of pastoring I have never encountered a couple who has regretted waiting until they were married to be physically intimate. But I have met hundreds who have deeply regretted their impatience. Similarly, I never met a person who, once tasting of the sweetness of Jesus, has said that they regret leaving behind their former life of bondage to sin.

But commitment to Christ, just like marriage, demands responsibility. As mentioned, for some fearkeeps them from accepting their responsibilities. The "right" person can become the "wrong" person if you confuse what agape love is. The person you marry will change - they are supposed to! In fact, when you marry, you both change because you grow together. And even the best marriage won't "work out" unless there is forgiveness and humility where somebody takes responsibility for the relationship. The other night I came home late from attending to some urgent matters. My mind was racing. My wife was greeting me. I brushed off her greeting as I continued to unpack my deliberations. Later that night I sensed there was something wrong. I asked what was the matter. After being told that I had not acknowledged her greeting sufficiently, I felt a little indignant. Didn't she realise that I was helping lots of people by the urgent matters I was giving my attention to and that unless I attended to them there would be some incredible damage done? To my shame I went to sleep indignant internally hoping that I might receive a much deserved apology in the morning. As I was waking next morning, my mind was racing about my responsibilities as a husband. I realised that I had to accept the responsibility of clearing the air by apologising to Kim for my neglect toward her. This took humility. But, it was sincere. I was belatedly responsible.

First Peter 5:6 ¶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

The other Sunday during our morning service we viewed an excellent video clip from Growing Families about responsibility. It cleverly depicted responsibility as being like a stuffed toy monkey. Parents should give their children the appropriate number of these monkeys and refuse to take them back off them so their children learn responsibility. And in age where not even civic leaders are keen to take too much responsibility, perhaps we as Christian parents might want to at least help raise up a generation that understands what responsibility looks like. This will be difficult for parents who have excused their children from being responsible. But it is needed because there are too many adults irresponsibly enjoying artificially prolonged adolescence.

First Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

The next time life feels like it's a little too much for you to carry, it may be because you are a responsible person. (Irresponsible people don't carry such loads.) Don't be afraid. Be responsible. Trust God and do your best. God knows we need more responsible people - especially responsible adults who developed the ability to carry responsibilities through their childhood.

Psa. 34:8 ¶ Taste and see that the LORD is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!

Ps. Andrew