Your Spiritual Workout
Phil 2:12 says, “workout your own salvation…”.
Phil 2:13 says, God… worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”.
You work out what God is working on the inside. You can liken this spiritual workout to working out with a trainer at the gym.
What are some of the elements of this working relationship with God, this spiritual workout, that are typified by a workout?
Just as with a trainer, you must show up. One of the reasons some people need a trainer is that they need the accountability in order to do the work. The appointment motivates the client to show up. Schedule morning appointments (devotions) and weekly appointments (church services) with the Lord. Scheduled tasks get done.
Just as with a trainer, the Lord designs the workouts. The trainer designs each workout according to his pleasure. 5 years agony trainer saw what I needed and began a regimen that has accomplished what he saw needed to be done. So it is with the Lord. Your spiritual workout is tailor-made. But you have to do the work. God is working in you; you have to workout.
Just as with a trainer, you must follow the Lord’s instructions. You have to do the exercises precisely and completely. And you have to do them all. So, it is with a spiritual workout.
Just as with a trainer, you must not quit. When you stop training, it only takes a week to see a decline, two weeks to see a set back, and a month to lose several months of progress. You decline spiritually much faster than you progress.
Just as with a trainer, you must communicate with the Lord. What’s working, what’s not working, needs to be sorted out. Fine tuning adjustments are part of getting the most out of your workout. It helps to understand what the Lord is doing and why.
Just as with a trainer, much of the results of your spiritual workouts are functional and internal. Much of the benefit of working out is not visibly apparent. Improvement in balance, strengthening of your core, and functional benefits don’t improve your physique. Likewise, the benefits to your spiritual life don’t often change your physical appearance, but they certainly improve your relationship with the Lord and your life as a Christian.