Train Your Spirit

When an athlete goes into training, she practices improving her skills. She works hard, repeating the same motions over and over until they become what we’d call “second nature” to her.

Most of us understand how crucial that kind of training is in the physical realm. We know that you simply can’t be a winner without it. But did you know we can train ourselves that same way where spiritual things are concerned because we are spiritual beings?

Hebrews 5:14 says we can train our sense to discern between moral and malevolent. When you train, or practice, for something, you expose yourself daily to whatever it is you want to become. You practice it over and over unit it becomes second nature to you. People who are lazy have practiced being lazy. People who are disciplined have practiced being disciplined.

Spending time with God is “spirit” practice. As you do it diligently, your spirit will grow stronger and will start to overcome the habits of our lower human nature/ humanist.

For example, if you have trouble getting up in the morning to spend time with God before the busyness of the day begins, if you’ve been giving in to you flesh and staying in bed, then you’ll have to start practicing getting up. The more you practice it, the easier it will be.

Don’t expect yourself to do it perfectly right from the beginning. Don’t get discouraged when you stumble and fail. You’re just out of practice. Get back on your feet and go at it again! Embrace focus, embrace perseverance, embrace encouragement, embrace discipline. All discipline seems to be more pain than pleasure at the time, yet later it will produce a transformation of character, bringing a harvest of peace to those who yield to it Hebrews 12:11.

Become a spiritual athlete. Put yourself in training by practicing the things of God. Build your spirit muscles through fellowship with God, The Divine. You will be surprised to find just how much of a winner you can be. You know the phrase practice makes perfect. I like to say, “practice makes progress.”