Spiritual FitBit

I was recently gifted a Fitbit which has become the new crave these days for those active and tracking their personal exercise levels. It has taken me a little while to figure out the apps and programs to accurately use the new device, but overall, it’s been pretty easy to use this new toy. I find it very telling to view my steps at the end of the day. Some days are filled with lots of table teaching as I home school the kids and others busy with outside play or gym classes that keep me moving to get to the recommended 10,000 steps per day.  Embarrassingly enough, I can look back and see which days the chores did not get done and floors kept their high traffic, muddy film due to lack of motivation and simple laziness. I find this to be true in my walk with Christ as I have had seasons of weakness and others of extreme strength.

I grew up in a Christian home, attended Christian schools and have lived in a community with many believers. I was baptized as an infant and always knew who Jesus was. My parents taught my siblings and I to be kind, respectful, hard working and to love Jesus above all else. After I graduated from high school, I started dating my husband which ended in us getting married three years later in 2002. We jet setted to Paris for our romantic honeymoon and came home ready to conquer this new thing called ‘Married Life’. Marriage for us was bliss. We had stable jobs and took on many projects which propelled us to new levels in our careers. We traveled lots, laughed more, had great communication and nothing seemed to be in our way of reaching success. Tim and I were active in our small church and both knew of each others relationship with Jesus, but did we really know Him?

Yes, we prayed over our meals, read the Bible and prayed before bed. Yes, we chatted about Christian topics and desired to live as Scripture outlines us to live. It took my husband hitting rock bottom for us to gain the now intimate relationship we each have with our Savior. You see, for ten years my husband battled a pornography addiction which ultimately led him to having several affairs. His confession came as a relief finally having his secret revealed, but quickly became my burden to carry with much shame, guilt and unsurmountable loads of grief weighing heavy on my inner most parts of my being. I never knew I could grieve the loss of my marriage as I did back in 2009. Tim and I separated for a short time as I fell to my knees and held my broken self in the fetal position many nights crying the weariness to sleep. It was in those darkest moments that God met me and showed me how strong my faith was. Even in the middle of confession I heard God whisper, “It is well.” During this season of my life, God propelled my relationship with Him to levels I never knew existed. My faith became the very air I breathed and was the only constant in my life.

God, being all knowing and always present, used our mess to glorify Himself through our lives. It took a physical shake up in my life to remind me who is ultimately in control of my life; my very steps. I often think about how we could have changed the course of our marriage. What if we prayed more, got more involved at church, read more self-help books or worked harder at being a more devoted wife and husband? The game of sin is that it can take the most devoted follower of Christ down when you’re not carefully watching every move you make.

As I often check my steps throughout the day, I wish there was a gadget to check my spiritual steps as well. Imagine a Spiritual Fitbit that would track how many hours spent in fervent prayer, times of worship sung, thoughts in devotion and words of grace and forgiveness spoken? I believe I would be shocked with how little I’m doing to glorify God if it were to be tracked in steps, hours and minutes. It’s easy to fall prey to the busy schedules, taxi service and duties of a house wife and mom. The chores pile high next to the wash machine as the rings become more distinct in the toilet bowl. From sun-up to sun-down the life of a busy mama is filled with this and so much more! Just as exercise is vital to keeping our physical bodies healthy, so is pausing to reflect on the goodness of God in our personal relationships with Christ. I believe much of the pain I’ve experienced in life could have been prevented if my heart was more in tune to God’s spiritual fitness plan.

“Recognizing our need to be spiritually fit is necessary to maintaining overall health and balance in our lives.”

It is only after walking through the ugliness of betrayal and seeing my desperate need for Christ, that I seek His presence daily in my life. God’s promise of hope, healing and extended grace has kept me going even when everything else around me wants to fall apart. God spoke to me in a moment of despair and for that, I keep stepping towards the goal of eternity and life everlasting.

Three Easy Ways to Track Your Spiritual Fitness Goals:

1.) Self Reflection: Ask yourself, “Am I spending more time on social media outlets then in the life-giving Word of God? How does my life reflect my relationship with Christ? Am I extending grace and forgiveness to others as I walk in humility and love?”

2.) Ask for Guidance:Find a mentor or accountability partner to keep you in check and balance with your spiritual output. Ask a friend, family member or spouse to see weekly how you are doing. Work through a Bible Study together or find an online study. Gain hope and insight from testimonies of God’s faithfulness at www.redeemed613.com.

3.) Take Action: Pray for God to meet you where you are in life and to show you areas where you may possibly have to give up, to give more to the One who saved you. It’s a sacrifice worth taking to gain more health in your journey of faith.