It’s that time of year again. The weather is starting to warm up. I’m ready for spring. It’s a time of getting outside and preparing for bathing suit weather. I exercise routinely. However, this spring I have put myself in training.

We have planned a road trip for this summer to Rocky Mountain National Park and Yellowstone National Park. I can’t wait. We are long overdue for a family vacation. As we hike, climb, and raft, I don’t want to be the one holding the family back, so mere exercise won’t do. It’s time for training.

It is easy to think about putting myself into physical training. However, I need to be in spiritual training, as well. This is an area where my discipline can wane from time to time and could benefit from some intentionality.

You’ve been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you’ll be a good servant of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we’ve thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We’re banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers. 1 Timothy 4:6-10 (MSG).

A disciplined life in Christ has many aspects to it. We need to be in conversation with Him through prayer, meditation and reading scripture. We also need to spend time worshipping and adoring Him. All of this sounds pretty easy. However, in my busy life, my time with Him can get limited. My prayer and meditation time gets shortened. I find my mind wandering in church to the week ahead. My worship is limited. I have found that just as I feel at my best physically when I’m exercising, I feel at my best emotionally and spiritually when I am staying close to God through conversation and worship.

For me, it became important for my time to be intentional and not squeezed in here and there. This is very difficult on a busy schedule. So, my physical training has now become a two for one. My time on the elliptical is not only physically good for me, but emotionally and spiritually, as well. The beautiful thing about the elliptical is I don’t have to watch what I’m doing. I can raise a hand in worship with my eyes closed allowing me to soak in the words of the music playing. With my body being busy, it is easier for my mind to be quiet and hear His still small voice guiding and encouraging me. And, honestly, it makes the exercise easier and goes by much faster :0)

Sometimes we need to put ourselves in training to see the value of the “exercise.” Are there areas in your life that could benefit from going into training? What are they? Share them here and we can encourage each other.