The Spiritual Physical

On Thursday I renewed my physical for the tennis season. It's one of those things you have to go to every year just in case you're not "fit" to be active in sports. It just so happens (not a coincidence, but part of God's plan) that on Friday night the sermon at my Bible Quizzing competition was on a spiritual physical. The message was based on 2 Corinthians 13:5, which was appropriate because we were studying first and second Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"

The following are the four criteria of the spiritual physical examination:

1) Food - Are you eating right? Not the hot dog or potato chips you're shoving down your mouth, but the spiritual food you consume, which is the Word of God. Reading the Bible is crucial to your health. Worldly food (AKA junk food!) is everything else society throws at you. The media, for example, has an enormous influence on our lives. While the Bible might be telling you to save your virginity for marriage, your favorite sitcom or movie might be advocating the opposite. This is unhealthy!

John 6:35 (NIV)

"Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

2) Vitamins - Prayer life! Prayer, or talking to God, recharges us. How else are we supposed to examine His will for us? How are we supposed to make wise decisions or gain discernment? (see "Prayer" post) Just like we take daily vitamin supplements in addition to our food, we need a dedicated prayer life on top of our faith.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

"pray continually."

3) Weight - Are you watching your weight? What's weighing you down in life? The weight of the world is burdensome. It can come in the form of technology, a busy life, or peer pressure -anything that causes you to stumble in your faith! Let's face it: life can be tough. But God can remove those burdens. He also calls us to carry each others' burdens (Galatians 6:2). Accountability partners are an excellent way to keep your faith in check. Good Christian friends can remind us of the most important thing, Jesus, and point out Satan's stumbling blocks (Matthew 16:23).

Psalm 68:19 (NIV)

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens."

4) Exercise - Put into practice what you believe. Just like exercise is a crucial part of staying fit, it's the same with exercising your faith! After all, what good is faith without actions? We are not only called to be like Christ, but share with others our new-found hope! According to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, we are to go and make disciples of all nations. James chapter 2 is the perfect illustration of faith and deeds.

James 2:14-19

"¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

¹⁹You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."

(Physical picture found on Google)