I decided for the umpteenth time today that I would start an exercise routine. Until today I liked to tell myself that just one walk a week was better than nothing. But today I have come to the conclusion that my random uncommitedness to exercise has been completely unproductive. Over the years I may have enjoyed the occasional walk or hike up a mountain but it has not been enough exercise to produce fitness of any kind. I’m not overweight because I eat right but I’m hardly a poster girl for the benefits of exercising.
I’ve decided the same concept applies to my spiritual growth as well. While over the course of most of my life I have regularly attended church, I can’t say that my personal relationship with God grew much during the times that all I did for my spiritual growth was attend church weekly. My commitment to attend church weekly probably kept me at the same level of spiritual fitness as eating healthy without exercising. I look pretty good on the outside, but the muscles on the inside are kind of mushy. Going to church every week basically kept me from robbing banks or stealing pens, but it didn’t get me an on fire, all out committed relationship with God.
In order to be fit enough to run a marathon, or at least maintain enough muscle mass to put on a pair of shorts without cringing, I need to work out on a regular, dare I say it, daily basis. Even if I work out on a daily basis I still get out of it what I put into it. If I only walk around the block daily I will not be able to run a marathon next year. I think you get the point, if I want an on fire relationship with God, I need to commit to the time it takes to get one. It’s like my relationship with my hubby, if I would have ignored him completely after our first meeting, we would not be married today. I can choose to ignore God all together, spend time with Him just once a week or decide to commit everything to Him in an all out relationship.