Exercise your mind, body, and soul this week.
People
who stay fully alive take care of themselves. If you don’t take care
of yourself, you can become sedate and lose your "edge." Remember that
we are whole beings. Taking care of one part of our lives can
positively impact other parts of our lives. Let me warn you, what I am
about to suggest will sound very simple. In fact you may look at this
and immediately move on to another blog or website. Yet so many people
ignore and neglect self-care.
You might consider the following:
- Exercise your mind. Do
something that stimulates your thinking. Read. Read something (even
the newspaper–paper or Internet) that relates to current events.
Watch a television program that causes you to think. Read a good
book. Far too many of us become mentally lazy. - Exercise your body. Walk.
Run. Work out. I work out at the YMCA about four times per week.
Working out makes such a difference in the way I feel every day. But
don’t complicate this. Start by walking. Some of us would do well to
turn the computer off, put the book down, and get some exercise. You
might be very surprised at the difference this makes. - Exercise your soul. Look
for an imbalance. Maybe you serve people and are involved in several
good works. However, your prayer life and Bible reading are lacking.
Start by setting aside a short time each day that is dedicated for
Bible reading and prayer. (Many have found prayer books to be helpful
as well.) You might consider writing in a journal. Some find that to
be a valuable tool.
On
the other hand, you may be doing the things I just suggested but you
are not involved in any ongoing ministry. To exercise your soul, you
may need to get more intentional about putting your faith into action.
Start simple. Consider doing something good for someone who is really
struggling right now. Consider doing something good for someone who is
sick, without a job, or in some way is going through a difficult time.
Maybe there is a service organization in the community for which you
could volunteer. The point is: Find a way to exercise your faith.