5 Tips For Exercising Faith to victory
I love exercise! How about you? I have over the years tried my hand at using weights or my body weight for strengthening my muscles and to tone up. Recently I have not been able to do too much because of some injuries in the past.
But I am looking forward to stepping back in and taking them up. I am preparing myself for the fact that its going to be tough to start off with and there is going to be pain as I push the muscles that have laid dormant for some time.
This reminds me of how we exercise our faith when we are facing an area we are trying to conquer.
For many of us we are trying to overcome many areas of our lives and find victory in renewing our mind. But there are 2 muscles we are faced with:
Resisting muscles vs Giving in muscles.
Whichever muscle we strengthen is the one that is going to rule.
Like picking up weights for the first time it really hurts to push through the pain threshold be it is always with it in the end. Though I must admit that sitting around all day is really easy. But the funny thing is when we give in it creates more problems for us later on.
Paul struggled with the same issue!
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ~ Romans 7:15 (NIV)
But he found the answer in Romans 8:
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
When we give up it is strengthening our flesh telling it that this is what we do when things get hard. But when we push through despite the trial or difficulty well the bible is clear we will gain perseverance and many other great character traits.
Whatever the trial we are facing resisting temptation, resisting anger, resisting that extra slice of cake, resisting procrastination and laziness every time we step up and push pass these desires not only are we strengthening the muscle of resistance we are also proactively renewing our minds.
Part of the process of renewing our minds to the mind of Christ is actively doing the thing we are trying to align ourselves with.
Even when we make a mistake or trip up please know that we are actually still growing and our mind is actually expanding by learning what not to do and how to move forward next time.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ~ James 4:7 (ESV)
This week we need to focus on the actions we are taking. Why are we taking them and whilst we are taking them what muscles are we exercising and what are we proactively renewing our minds to.
TIPS TO GET YOUR RESISTANCE MUSCLE WORKING
Do not be afraid to speak to yourself when your thoughts are telling you to do something opposite. Speak to yourself and say the truth of the word.
Focus on 1 area that you need to practice strengthening your resistance muscle. Write a plan of how you are going to exercise that muscle. Make sure you have your boundaries in place.
Arm yourself with the word of God. Choose the scripture that is going to strengthen you and meditate on it by uttering the words to yourself throughout the day (a minimum of 7 times).
I recommend completing the "I will start tomorrow" questions from Barb Raveling's book "The renewing mind project" or if you want it to be food related from Barb Ravelings book or app "I deserve a donut".
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