Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, live like men, be strong! Let everything that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16: 13-14

With a few exceptions, I start my day pretty early in a gym with thirty other early risers in all shapes and sizes who are looking to make their physical bodies stronger – or at least make a little progress.

In the fitness center, there is any number of machines, free weights, and treadmills …. all designed to serve a purpose but as Paul told Timothy, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8 NLT).

Spiritual exercise is better because it produces results that last. Three core exercises are time spent in the Bible, prayer, and living in a community with other believers.

Just like physical exercise, most of us choose to get a few more minutes of sleep or finish one more project for work instead of practicing some of the spiritual disciplines. So as we enter this weekend, how would you rate your own spiritual fitness?

What step(s) can you take toward strength?