Monitoring Your Spiritual Health

January is the perfect month to take a pulse on your spiritual well-being. Here are a few things that I ask myself periodically. I pray that they will prove 

      What are you feeding your soul with these days? Are you subsisting on empty calories of excessive TV and movie watching, the Internet, Facebook, talk or sports radio, romance novels, etc.?

*Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:33-34 that if we fill our hearts with unhealthy things, it will inevitably be exposed by our attitudes and speech. What comes out of our mouths reflects what we’ve taken into our hearts.

*Remember…Philippians 4:8 tells us to filter what we listen to or view through the sieve of what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

Or perhaps you’ve been keeping a secret stash of junk food in your pantry…like bitterness, anger, envy or gossip.

*Both Paul and Peter have great counsel for us regarding this…they say “get rid of it!” Check out Colossians 3:5-9 and 1^st Peter 2:1 to get the lowdown on what to toss out!

Are you keeping spiritually fit? Have you established a daily fitness routine?

A healthy spiritual life doesn’t just happen by wishing it to be so; one must be proactive and disciplined. Time spent with God in prayer and fasting, reading His love letter, and getting apart with Him in solitude in order to hear His still small voice, are all important exercises we must maintain in order to prevent heart disease! 

*Paul challenges us in 1^st Corinthians 9:24-27, not to pussyfoot around about this, but, to get in the race and run with gusto. And the author of Hebrews tells us in chapter 12:1 that if we persevere and stay the course that God has marked out for us, we will not run alone. We will have a whole heavenly cheering section rooting for us!!

And what about those spiritual gifts…how often do they get exercised?

*Paul tells us in Romans 12:6-8 and 1^st Corinthians 12:7, that every single one of us has been equipped with an ability or strength that is necessary for the health and well-being of the community of believers. And the great thing is, when we get out there and stretch those serving muscles, our lives bring glory to God in the process!!

According to good, old Ben Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and that applies to our spiritual health as well! What preventative measures are you taking to guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23)? Do you know the early warning signs that your spiritual well-being is in trouble? What steps will you take to get back on the road to recovery? 

*In Galatians 6:4a, Paul tells us that we need to be self-aware. We need to test our hearts, actions, attitudes, and thoughts on a regular basis to see if they are on the same wavelength as God.

*We must also be prepared for a sudden heart attack that comes with little or no warning. Peter warns us that the enemy of our souls is always on the prowl, so there is never a good time to let our guard down [1^st Peter 5:8]. 

We put our spiritual health at great peril when we try to forge our way through life alone. God knew what He was talking about when He said that it isn’t good for man to be alone (Genesis 1:18) We all need the love and support of others in our lives. So...how’s that area of your life going? Do you have a support system in place? Are there people in your life who will pick you up when you fall (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)? 

* I don’t know about you, but I need a little poke from behind, now and again, to keep my spiritual condition at its optimum. We all need those crucial, two-in-the-morning friends that will love us through thick and thin!

There will be times in life, however, when the path will narrow and you will need to push forward regardless if anyone goes with you. When those times come, where will you draw your strength to push through?

*Thanks to our loving Savior, He has provided for us…even in times like this! Because of His forethought and mercy, He has poured into the heart of a believer, the companionship and wise counsel of the Holy Spirit. It is up to us whether or not we will draw on His inexhaustible supply of power to press on.