Stay Fit
Back at it today. Having been out of town for over a week I’d missed several work outs. It was cold today and dark by the time I got home. I bundled up, set my Fitbit to time my run and headed out.
Initially it felt good – the coolness of the evening felt refreshing and my pace started on track. As time went on however, my body began to remind me that I’d neglected to exercise the past few days. My pace slowed and I ultimately shorten the length of the run and arriving at home breathing heavily. I noted my time on by Fitbit to be less than respectable.
It occurred to me as I was running, that this challenge of staying fit is a lot like maintaining my relationship with God:
- The more I regularly I run, the more I stay fit.
- The more I focus on God, the closer I stay to Him.
This revelation is not a new concept. The Bible speaks to this topic. We are told how to be near God in James 4:8 which says “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
Drawing near can only be accomplished as we spend time with Him. Our God is an ever-present God who loves us and desires to be with us. We miss out on His presence when we are looking elsewhere.
In the book of Psalms, we find this more insights in chapter 73, verse 28. Here we read: “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”
As we stay near to God, we are provided refuge and see the many good things He does. We miss out when life’s distractions, whether good or bad, pull us away.
In this season of Christmas, meditating and spending time with God oddly often gets placed at the end of the endless “to do” list. We arrive at Christmas exhausted and far from God. We have the opportunity to change this for ourselves and others in our family. We can choose to focus on God each day through this advent season.
The Bible Project offers a short daily reading highlighting a Bible verse and a reflection question. You can find this printable PDF by clicking on Calendar.
We are already into December but it’s not too late to start! Will join me in getting fit for Christmas by daily reflecting on God’s word as we prepare of Jesus’ birthday celebration? Stay fit and stay close!
JW