2:34 – I Exercised last year, where’s my six-pack abs?

#faithbites #faithjourney exercised

I want the perfect body, but what about the work that comes with it? I did exercise last year, shouldn’t I be physically fit? Shouldn’t I have the Baywatch lifeguard body? Shouldn’t I be able to run a marathon, since I walked a block last week? Of course not. That would be silly, unless I’m Superman, which I’m not.

This morning at church I had a conversation with a great friend about this. Just like our bodies need it, our faith needs to be exercised. Not just once a year at Christmas or the holidays. Not just once a week on Sundays, but every day. Just as we wouldn’t expect the perfect athlete body with one run or one bench-press, we can’t expect one baptism or one church attendance to give us perfect faith. We need to continually exercise our faith.

Scripture

• But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” – Hebrews 10:38
• For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10
• All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ – Jeremiah 33:3

Reflection

We know that if we have faith in Jesus that we are saved. We know that we can confess our sins and be forgiven. Our scriptures today show us that we have to live by faith and we should walk in the good works of Christ. But to be able to do that, we need to know the scriptures and we need to call out to God for answers. (I love Jeremiah 33:3, hence it was my Baptism verse).

We can’t just look up one verse in scripture and know everything about God. We need to both study his word AND live in his word. That means being with his people, doing good works, and being as Christ-like as possible. This doesn’t change our salvation as that is guaranteed through Christ, but it does deepen our faith and helps us understand the Lord.

I would love to have that six-pack stomach or run a marathon. Heck, I’d love to be a master craftsman or artist, but I don’t have the skills or the dedication to practice those crafts. What I do have is the dedication to practice and master our faith.

Charge

Do you truly want to know Jesus? Do you want to know God’s plan. Then your faith needs to be exercised daily. Make a plan to do that. It could be church attendance, daily devotionals, prayer groups, Bible reading and so much more. Make and stick to your new faith exercise routine.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, give us your stamina to exercise our faith daily. Provide us the energy to run the full course of our lives in your path getting stronger every day. Show us the path to follow so that we can understand you, your ways, and what it means to be a follower of Christ. When we get tired, when our body aches, soothe us and comfort us. When we fall, pick us back up and set us on the path again. In your name, Amen.