Did God Tell You To Start A New Fitness Routine?

What if He’s actually calling you to work on yourself – not in the physical manner – but spiritually? Why can’t you stick to the work out plan? You’re not just lazy. You’re blocked. Why?

Sometimes – especially at the start of a new year or after having a baby, we can feel this pressure to “improve” or “bounce back”. It’s like, there’s always pressure to be your thinnest, most attractive, most focused – at all times. Yet, I feel like I found myself not being able to ever rise to the occasion when it came to this version of #selfimprovement.

Then a new year comes along and somehow that’s supposed to be enough motivation to get me “on track” LOL HA. I think I tricked myself for more new years’ than I’d like to admit that I’d actually do something different. Oh, and after having the babies?! Yeah, that pressure came even harder and I felt even worse when I just couldn’t miraculously become this super fit woman.

Is Your Body Tight Right Now?

I mean that for real. Do you feel tense and tightened up in your body right now? Take a moment to mentally loosen and relax. Let’s continue!

Why Can’t I Just Be What I Want To Be?

“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

Galatians 5:17

Sis, let’s back up real quick. Why do you want to be the super fit/slim waist, thick thighed mama? The calling to a “better you” is real – but maybe we’ve been looking at it from the wrong perspective. Just because we can physically see, touch, and feel our physical bodies, doesn’t mean that’s the “body” we’re called to work on in this season. What about your #spiritual body?

When was the last time you did a HIIT workout for your spirit?

OR better yet, can you acknowledge when the Holy Spirit has been placing you into a HIIT workout?

(“Jade, girl what?!” LOL stick with me!) I’m talking about high-intensity interval training of your spiritual body. Just like a physical HIIT workout plan, there are short periods of intense exercise alternated with longer recovery periods. A spiritual high intensity exercise could be an argument with your husband. When things are getting heated and you are called to reach and exercise fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Yes, when that man is talking crazy to you and you could say a whole lot – how do you perform? It’s the practice of #selfcontrol that actually builds up the strength of your spiritual body, not the clap back.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

The longer recovery period is the few days after the conflict when you’re driving in traffic and instead of huffin’ and puffin’ about it – you choose to take a moment to worship. Instead of seeing the traffic as an obstacle impeding your route, you take it as an opportunity to quiet your mind and rejoice in who God is. Remembering the things that He’s done and focusing on who God is.

It’s The Small Daily Habits That Make Us Who We Are.

Journal Prompt

What does your spiritual workout plan look like? Not the one you put yourself through, but the one He’s been putting you through?

1. What was the last “High-Intensity” Workout God Allowed You To Go Through? How’d You Do?
2. What was the last “low-intensity” Workout God Allowed You To Go Through? How’d You Do?
3. What are you feeding your spiritual body in order to get through those workouts?

We are our habits, good and bad. Meditate on your answers from above and sit with God for a moment. Allow yourself to feel whatever comes up so you can clearly hear the Holy Spirit’s response.