Exercise Daily!

Exercise is good for the body. It helps to keep us healthy and strong. It is also good to exercise our faith. Believe and ask God for something and watch Him answer your prayers. But even more important than either of those is to exercise obedience to God. This kind of fitness keeps our relationship with Christ sacred and productive. Practicing a life of obedience to God’s Word and His Spirit leads to a healthy mind, heart, and spirit and protects your life like a special covering.

Obedience is usually not something people want to hear about. Being obedient to parents isn’t much fun – so we think at the time. Being obedient to God can be intimidating and can even bring about the same feelings of not being fun. But most of us know from experience that whether obedience to God is fun or not, it is always right and it always has its rewards.

Romans 6:16, “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?“

It’s not easy to obey, but Jesus never promises us ‘easy.’ He promises life! When we are born again, accepting Jesus as our Savior and declaring Him as Lord, what we are doing is declaring our obedience to Him instead of a life of sin. By faith we are receiving Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross as payment for our sins and giving our lives to Him in exchange. When we do this He comes to live with us and empowers us to be a new creation instead of the old that is filled with sinful desires and passions. The new creation is a miracle at the time of salvation, but it’s also a miracle that needs exercised… working out our salvation on a daily basis. With every decision we make to be obedient the ‘new’ person gets stronger and grows into who God has called us to be. Obedience doesn’t come naturally, but we desire to obey because we have been changed on the inside by our Savior who broke the curse of sin in our hearts and brings eternal life.

What do we get in return for obeying? Being positioned in God’s will is the best place we could ever be. It’s a position to receive all the blessing that comes from being free. It’s a position of having our hands up in worship enjoying the romance of our loving God instead of having our backs turned to Him – defiant, stubborn, deceived, and disobedient. There is protection, health, prosperity, joy that cannot be stolen, and peace that surpasses understanding when we’re obedient.

Obedience puts us in a place to receive God’s best for us because we’re surrender, versus being disobedient which usually involves demanding our own way for our own comfort and the satisfaction of our own lusts.

John 14:23, Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

Obedience isn’t something to look down upon; it’s something to practice with the motivation of love and the result of intimacy with Christ. It’s a good thing, no, it’s a great thing!! And the strength to obey comes not from you but from the Lord, all you must do is choose to surrender.

Scripture is a fitness program that leads us away from temptation. God’s Word and the Holy Spirit are given to us to teach us God’s will. Submit to Him and you’ll never be a slave to sin because even when you fall, He’s there to pick you up with loving arms.

God is a good Father and Jesus is a good Shepherd. Let’s be obedient disciples together, what do you say?

- Richie

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

PS. Feelings have nothing to do with it. Obey cause it’s right and it pleases our God, whether you feel like it or not. This kind of maturity produces beautiful results.