Get In Shape!

 On a scale of 1 to 10, how well are you taking care of your physical body? A score of 10 represents excellent and a 1 represents not at all. Would you rate yourself a 1, 10 or somewhere in between? I'm not a 1 or a 10, but I would fall somewhere around a 7. My rating is a lot higher now than it used to be as I am learning more of the importance of taking care of me. I am thankful for that 💖! We all have to take a honest reflection of areas we need to work on. For example, I know I need to work on getting 7- 8 hours a sleep each night. I know it's not consistent, but I'm working towards that goal 👏. Getting a certain number of hours and proper rest is one way we can physically take care of our bodies. We also take care of our physical bodies by drinking water, eating healthy food, limiting junk food and sweets, brushing and flossing our teeth and exercising regularly. All of these factors are choices that an individual makes. We choose what time we go to bed, what foods we eat or don't eat and when and how often we exercise and move our bodies. These are decisions we make daily. The decisions we make will show up in our lives. For example, keeping our teeth clean will keep food from building up. Not only that, but not taking care of our teeth properly can affect our physical health in other ways too. Lack of sleep, lots of junk food and sweets and little to no exercise can also affect our physical health in a negative way. We all have some area of improvement in that. I know I do! To make sure we are physically health, we have to make sure we are making good decisions on what has been discussed earlier. When we have not made good choices, we tend to be less focused, not full of energy and tired. Our physical health should be taken seriously because it is important. Doctor and dentist appointments are necessary because the professionals can help guide us in making right decisions and make sure we are taking the necessary tests. All of these things will help get us in shape and be our best self 💖. Not only should we get in shape physically, but spiritually, emotionally and mentally  we need to as well. We should want to be healthy in all areas of our life. Healthy and whole are my goals and I hope they are yours too 🙏!! Not being healthy in one area can affect other areas. Just like we have to watch what food and drinks we take in (the portions as well), we have to watch what we feed our soul. What are we taking in on a daily basis? Is it growing us or weakening us? Is it giving us energy or draining us? Is it helpful or harmful? We may not see the results of taking something harmful in right away (wrong relationships, wrong conversations, wrong social media posts, etc.), but it has a way of showing up eventually. It shows up in how we talk about ourselves and others, how we treat ourselves and others, and daily routines. The effects of eating junk food or not exercising regularly may not show up right away, but try walking and being out and about for certain period of time. You'll find out real quick that you're not in shape and have a hard time keeping up like you want to! So we have to be careful what we take in our spirit because it can weigh us down and leave us feeling drained. I Timothy 6:6 says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain." Being obedient to God's Word and remembering/speaking God's promises will bring that contentment we need. It's focusing on God's teaching, so we can live out His truths in our daily lives. Living out the truth helps us to be healthy and in spiritual shape 👏. In I Timothy 6:7-8, it talks about being spiritually fit and training for godliness because that benefits us now and in the future. We can eat sweets from time to time, but we have to watch our portions and eat in moderation. Social media can be "sweet" too, but we have to watch how much we take in and take it in moderation. It can be a good thing, but it can also be overwhelming and influence us negatively if we let it. It goes back to the choices. Too much negativity, confusion, chaos and drama will have us out of shape. Earlier, it was discussed about how we should take care of our physical health. Just like physical fitness, training for godliness requires consistency🙏. It requires doing the right thing often and not just once a week or month. Here are some things I am learning we can do to stay spiritually:

1. Study and live God's Word daily. Memorize and mediate on the Scriptures throughout the days. Live out God's Word everywhere we go.

2. Pray to God daily. Prayer is our connection to God, just like we stay connected to our family and friends. Talk to God about everything and let Him talk back to you. Listen to what instructions He tells you to do 🙏.

3. Fill ourselves up with the Word of God. Fill ourselves up with what's good, healthy and helpful. Just like junk food, eating sweets only gives temporary fulfillment. We need something more solid that will sustain us in the storms of life.

4. Surround ourselves with friends who are encouraging us to stay healthy. We need to check our circle. Make sure our friends are genuine and their actions show it. I've learned that it's not about the number of friends we have, but the quality of friendships. I'm thankful for my circle I can count on 💖. 

5. Check in with yourself often. Ask yourself how you really are doing. Take breaks to be still and reflect on who God is and who you are in Him (Psalms 46:10, 139:3, 14). Make changes for the better as often as you need to.

6. Celebrate all your wins. My wins and your wins matter equally 💖. Take time to honor and acknowledge them along your journey 🙌. They are important and deserved to be celebrated 😀.

No matter what happens on your journey to wholeness, keep going. We're all in this healthy journey together! Little steps each day add up to big results. I see you. I am proud of you. God is proud of you 🙏💜. Let's keep working on us and get in shape 💪😀!!