Have you ever tried exercising after months or years of not doing anything at all? It seems almost impossible to restart your engines again. In the same vain, your heart is conditioned over time. It is hard work! The minute you get lazy and stop conditioning your heart, it usually takes twice the effort and time to get back to par. The bible warns us constantly this will happen. For example, 1 Chronicles 16:11 says,
11 “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.”
And, Job 17:9 says, 9 “Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.” As we experience the ebbs and flows of life, we often find our heart following the same pattern. However, when trials come our way, it is the preparation or reconditioning of your heart which will determine your approach and potentially the outcome. In many ways, if you already have an intimate relationship with the Lord, it does not take very long to recognize when he is tapping you on your shoulder and telling you it is time to wake-up and go running again (starting preparing or reconditioning your heart again). However, there is a dangerous slippery slope we tend to misjudge. Even when we seem to be waking in lockstep with God, the devil is working overtime to place fear and doubt in us. It is amazing how quickly our heart and relationship with Jesus can weaken, but take a considerable amount of time to heal and strengthen again. It’s the process of preparation, conditioning, and reconditioning which Jesus uses to help make the relationship with Him stronger and more satisfying during our journey. If God allowed us to control the relationship with Him as we see fit, then having a relationship with Him would not be very special or important. When I am in a strong relationship with Him, all my other relationships get strengthened as well, by osmosis. There are a couple of important actions steps I like to take in order to ensure my heart is being conditioned at all times. Honestly, I still get lazy and fall behind on some of these activities myself at time. But when I do them ritually, I definitely feel the positive effects.
1) Go to church EVERY WEEK
Church Online:
InTouch in Atlanta, Georgia: http://www.intouch.org
Discovery Church in Orlando, FL: http://www.discoverychurch.org/
North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia: http://www.northpoint.org/messages
2) Read the Bible EVERYDAY (prefer version: NASB, closest translation in English from scripture)
3) Stay dependent on Him - Don’t let yourself get too comfortable. This is when you tend to stop exercising. Proactively challenge yourself to exercise your heart by doing things you normally would not consider or seem uncomfortable.
4) Make sure you are in a small group or have an accountability partner you connect with at least once a week, if not more.
5) Listen to praise music or hymns at least once a day and as often as possible. In the car, at work, at home, while exercising. Recommendation: Before you leave the house in the morning turn on your favorite Christian music station. If you don’t have one, get one. This way when you leave your house, God’s house, He is present. This way He is present when you leave in the morning and enter in the evening. Your house needs to be His sanctuary and a place of comfort. This does not happen without taking an active role in creating an environment filled with His presence. This is especially important and helpful with children in the household.
6) Journaling is a great way to have a two way conversation with God.
If you have any good methods not listed above which helps to condition your heart, I would love to hear about them and share with others.