ARE YOU A HEALTHY CHRISTIAN?

Rajesh Jude Medidi

Mechanical Engineering

Batch of 2014 

Fitness! Fitness is very important nowadays to live healthier and longer lives. With the kind of food that we are eating today and the way we’re always sitting in front of laptops and mobile phones, we automatically become unfit and become used to it. Statistics show that only one in three children is physically active these days.

Just as it is important to keep our physical body fit which is what is so emphasized on TV, it is also important to take care of our spiritual bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:44 talks about having a natural body and a spiritual body.

1 Timothy 4:8 says ‘For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come’.

This inner man or the spiritual body was raised to life by Jesus Christ when He resurrected, in other words, it is that imperishable seed that God has placed us in us which redeemed us from our empty way of life.

1 Peter 1:18,19 – “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

All of us pretty much take good care of our bodies like bathing, grooming, brushing, make up (for girls and a few boys), etc., so don’t we have to take care of the inner man who lives in us?

So how do we do it?

1. Eat the right food.

To remain physically fit, we have to eat the right food with the right nutrients in the right amounts. Not having food for the day would just make us weak for the day. So what is the spiritual food that would help us grow?

• Bread – Word of God

Bread, a staple food for everyone. It is what our moms have been feeding right from our infant age.

It is through this bread or the living and enduring word of God that we have been born again. (1 Peter 1:23)

His word is what will make us grow more in Him and nearer to Him.

In a blog post by Devki,

http://justholdonwearegoinghome.wordpress.com/2014/09/23/lean-in-and-listen/

She clearly puts up why we should read the word, “The reason to open up our Bible each morning is to seek God’s Word, His direction. The Word is so alive that it does teach us, and direct us and so much more. God’s Word comforts, confirms and carries us though another day with Him at our side.”

Ezekiel 3:1-3

1. He told me, “Son of man, eat what you see. Eat this book. Then go and speak to the family of Israel.”

2, 3 As I opened my mouth, he gave me the scroll to eat, saying, “Son of man, eat this book that I am giving you. Make a full meal of it!”

So I ate it. It tasted so good—just like honey.

• Prayer

Prayer is another source for our growth. It is that place of our meeting with God. It is in that time of our meeting with God, that we receive our strength, our direction, and our answers. Prayer is also a battlefield where we fight against the devil by God’s power as we wear the armor of God. We also see in Hebrews 5:7, how Jesus prayed and the result of it.

Also in the book of Acts, we see how times of prayers and worship strengthened and made people bold, how they broke chains and also revealed who should go for His work.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”

• Fellowship

We also grow through our fellowship with one another. In fellowship, we grow together as a family in Christ, carrying each other’s burden, supporting one another, encouraging one another, teaching and correcting one another.

Hebrews 10:24-25:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

2. Exercise!

Earlier we saw what the things that we would feed our bodies are. But we need to start exercising what we receive otherwise we will become FAT! Exercise burns away the unnecessary fats in our bodies.

A big example of exercising our faith is sharing our faith with others. How often have we done that? Jesus gave this commission to everyone who believed in him (Matthew 28:19-20).

A few more examples of exercising our faith are encouraging one another, praying for one another, teaching one another and the list goes on. Many times, many of us come to fellowship and receive and we go back and this has been happening quite often. But it’s time that we do not stay at that stage of just receiving but also giving, for ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35)

But during this stage of exercise, we’ll go through pains in our bodies. But when a man physically exercises, the pain he gets in the early days of exercise is a sign of growth and shows that the muscles are stretching and growing. In the same way, in our spiritual life, pains and storms will make us grow and it is through Christ that we can overcome them.

3. Holy Spirit – Our trainer.

God has not left us alone to work out our salvation on our own. But He has given us the Holy Spirit, who like a personal trainer would help us, teach us, direct us and empower us in our walk with God.

Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Finally it is important to have a balanced diet in our spiritual lives. Without being fed properly, we would not have any energy to exercise our faith; we would just be a powerful sports car with no fuel. In other words, we would be MALNOURISHED! On the other hand, if we don’t exercise properly, we will become OBESE!

So eat well and exercise well!

Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power”

2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

GOD BLESS YOU!!