But over time, you will have strengthened your heart, your lungs, maintained muscle tone and helped to sustain a positive mood. When you are 60 (well, now she has to say something like 75) you will be stronger, able to enjoy a more active lifestyle, and more able to heal from inevitable ills.
She's right. All the medical research supports her position. I am even willing to acknowledge she is right.
It rarely makes me get off the couch on a lazy Sunday afternoon when my body just wants to nap and not think about anything. But I have tried, off and on, to be more intentional about it all.
Our spiritual life is much the same. We could list all the things which would probably be good for our spiritual health: a little more time getting to know the scriptures, some time spent in prayer, an occasional reaching out through a service project, even some charity towards our neighbors, known and unknown. Knowing about God and the beloved son Jesus is vastly different from knowing the Triune God from regular contact and conversation. .
What kinds of things do you talk to God about? What is God saying in return? Where is God leading you? How is God encouraging you to grow ever more Christ-like? A frightened prayer sent heavenward while skidding on an icy road is most certainly a valid prayer - but it doesn't constitute a relationship. It's no more than a 911 call to a local tow truck - once you've been pulled out of the ditch you have nothing more to say to one another.
The hard times are coming for each of us because life is like that. We prepare to face these times as a person of faith by exercising our faith during all those 'good' times. Sure Sunday morning looks like a grand time to sleep in and read the Sunday paper (do people still do that?). Of course a round of golf looks a bit more enticing than serving dinner at the Samaritan center. Praying for others, giving generously to the needy, all these things ask you to devote time and resources to God's work - with little immediate reward. But by developing a lifestyle of spirituality you also strengthen the faith that will sustain you in the dark times ahead.
'Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen' according to Hebrews 11. The more we practice the habits of the faithful, the stronger our connection to the Divine. It will serve us well. Once you've really gotten to know Jesus you are more confident of trusting him even when life is muddled.
I'm heading to the gym (tomorrow morning) to work on the exercise bit. What shall we do today to strengthen our spiritual life?
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