The amazing 5 minute workout!

Have you made a New Year's Resolution to lose weight or to get in better shape? How's it going? Are you hanging in there after the first couple of weeks? If I told you I had a magic workout that only took 5 minutes a day and you would look like a superstar celebrity would you believe me? What if I told you if you did not have 5 minutes a day but could spare one hour, once a week you could achieve the body you have always wanted, would you believe me? Even if you believed me and tried working out for five minutes a day or one hour once a week do you really think you would see any dramatic results? Of course not.

My questions above might seem like a joke and you may have thought what moron would believe that nonsense! But let me ask you this. Do we attempt to do the very thing that we know will not work physically hoping it will work spiritually? If our lives are in chaos, if things seem to be going from bad to worse, if you seem to be taking one step forward and two back, let me ask you a simple question. How much quality time are you spending in God's word and in prayer. Many people would laugh at the thought of exercising for five minutes a day and expecting great results but we read a quick verse someone posted on their facebook page or go to church for one hour a week and think our lives should be worry free. Why do we tend to think that makes any sense?

Take a look at what God's word says about this:

Joshua 1: 8 - Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Psalm 1: 1, 2 - 1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,and on his law he meditates day and night.

Acts 17: 11 - Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 - 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

I could list more but I think you get the picture. Spending time in God's word along with constant, thoughtful prayer should be a priority, it is something that should happen daily. It should not be an afterthought, it should not be something we do if we have a few minutes to spare. If we want to see true spiritual change in our lives, we need to approach this the same way we would if we wanted to see physical change take place with our body. We need to commit time and effort to it, we need to get into a routine, maybe even find someone to hold us accountable.

Joseph Pilates, the inventor of the physical fitness method that bears his name, said "Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking nor outright purchase." I think the same can be said of our spiritual fitness. It's time to get serious about our spiritual fitness.