The Habit of Spiritual Exercise
By Kristi Palmer
For years I have had an on-again, off-again relationship with exercise. I would make up my mind to “get healthy” and would join a gym, start jogging, or buy some dumbbells to use at home. I would go all in and spend an hour each day working out, sure that this time I was changing my life and becoming a healthier person. But each time, things would fizzle out in a matter of weeks or months. Circumstances would change, time would become scarce, or something else would interrupt my methods and motivation, and before I knew it, I was back to being a couch potato, feeling like a failure for not sticking with it.
Then I read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear and realized that my approach had been part of the problem. I was focused on a specific goal and following a rigid plan to get there. There was no room for error, missed days, or flexibility. Once I shifted my focus from big goals to simple daily habits, things changed for me. I decided that I wanted to be the kind of person who makes healthy choices and started with baby steps to become that person.
First, I decided to walk one mile each day. It took less than 20 minutes, got me outside in the sunshine, and gave me some quiet time alone. Soon, that 20 minutes didn’t feel long enough, and I increased my distance. And once I did that, it felt silly to put in all that effort only to come home and eat junk food. So I began eating a little better. Fast forward a couple of years, and I have added other fitness habits, and I’m making better choices regarding my health than at any other time in my life. Not because I trained for a 5k or joined a fancy gym, but because I slowly formed good habits.
What does health and fitness have to do with spiritual growth? Everything. How many times have we followed the same approach to spirituality that I once applied to fitness? We hear a sermon and feel convicted or inspired to make more of an effort in our spiritual walk. We go all in, committing to reading ten chapters from the Bible each day, spending lengthy time in prayer, and reading everything C.S. Lewis has ever written. We give it a good start, only to fizzle out in a matter of days.
What we need is to start the habit of spiritual exercise. Start small and simply become the kind of person who reads their Bible each day. Maybe you read a chapter in Psalms each day, just to get things going. Eventually, you’ll feel like that’s not enough and you’ll want to read more. After you’ve built the habit of reading your Bible each day, you’ll find that you want to stop and think about some of what you’ve read — now you’re meditating on God’s Word. Soon, you’ll want to talk to God about what He has shown you, ask Him for direction, or thank Him for the guidance you have found in the Bible. By starting small, you have created a habit that can grow into the daily practice of spiritual exercise, and that’s something you’ll never regret!
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.”