“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Mark 12:30 (ESV)

Being fit is one thing; being an athlete is another entirely. Experts say thirty minutes of exercise at a comfortable pace four times a week will make us fit. So, two hours a week of running, walking, biking, or swimming will allow an individual to maintain a basic level of fitness. It doesn’t matter whether the activities are done in the morning, afternoon, or evening. It just has to be scheduled and completed. Fitness can be measured and tested. It is paying attention to the minimum requirements of the body. To be an athlete requires taking training to another level. Being an athlete is not something you do for two hours a week; it is something you are. It requires a twenty-four hour commitment each and every day. Fitness helps us see the life we should lead. Being an athlete means we have found it.

Similarly, being a Christian is one thing, but giving God everything is another entirely. We may go to church each week, give financially, teach Sunday School, and maybe even sing in the choir. We proudly collect our perfect attendance pin, convince ourselves that we put more in the offering plate than most and learn a great deal about the Bible as we prepare to teach others. How easy it is to settle for the minimum requirements of our faith. God does not want us to simply be spiritually fit, He wants us to be spiritual athletes. To become a spiritual athlete requires a twenty-four hour commitment each and every day. God must be the most important part of our life. We must give Him all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. We must watch what we put in our mouth, we must watch what comes out of our mouth, we must get proper rest, and we must train our minds with plenty of Bible study and prayer. Being spiritually fit helps us see the life we should lead. Being a spiritual athlete means we have found it. God want us to be champions for Him.

Heavenly Father, take me to a new level of spiritual fitness today. Help me give You all my heart, soul, mind, and strength every day. Make me a true champion for Your Kingdom. Amen.