What is spiritual fitness?
It’s like physical fitness, which requires a work out, only with your mind!
And, I’m not talking about “over-thinking” or “Thinking our way out of a situation”—neither of those, although it does require our minds to change our mindset and perspective.
The other day, I heard a friend talk about feeling “spiritually homeless”— I am sure we have all felt that way at some point. Alcohol only enhances this feeling, or state of being. We are born with that natural feeling of needing something outside of ourselves to complete ourselves, spiritually, mentally and physically. As if we are “missing something.” That is the feeling of spiritual homelessness.
I searched for a spiritual home here in the physical world through alcohol. The world could not complete me or validate me. I held on for a while, but was still missing something. Eventually, it was not enough. I knew God before I got sober, but wasn’t talking to God and exercising that “relationship” muscle. I could not stop drinking and get sober on my own. Well, if I could have gotten sober on my own, I would have. But, I needed more.
I was far from home. I needed a spiritual fitness. A friend the other day talked about learning of God growing up in church and then, falling away as a young adult. But there is a “homing instinct” aspect of spirituality, that once we get the addiction out of the way (the physical) we have access to our own spirituality once again and we instinctively know where to return for that feeling of HOME.
That home for me is God.
This is not a one-time deal. It takes active participation. Daily. Ongoing.
"What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all of our activities.” Page 85 of The Big Book of AA
In the scripture at the bottom, it talks about being alert and of sober minded. The enemy (alcohol) is doing push ups behind the scenes ready to pounce in the form of relapse. What are you doing today for your spiritual fitness? Metaphorically speaking, what kind of mental push ups are you doing for your sober maintenance?
Daily Mental Push-ups:
Gratitude list—Keeps me in solution and not the problem
Prayers—Keeps me in the action step of surrendering to God.
Go to a meeting— keeps in active listening to others and out of my own head
Service— Helping somebody else, strengthens my “selflessness” muscle.
What are you doing today for your spiritual fitness?
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
1 Peter 5:8
Click on my books below to buy.
