So how is your Spiritual Health, really?  I remember a time not to long ago when I sensed I was getting sick.  Not physically sick, spiritually sick.  I had a bad attitude, was doubting God’s call on my life and I was tired.  I was working seven days a week and I didn’t even want to go to church for a season because everything just seemed empty.  I – WAS – SICK.

Salvation is free but discipleship will cost you EVERYTHING. 

“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”  Philippians 2:12

Whenever I ask people how there spiritual health is, it is usually a very ambiguous answer.  One of the reasons for this is because we really don’t know how to measure spiritual health. Let me give you five strategies to increase and measure your spiritual health.  I know there aren’t any perfect formulas, but following Jesus is supposed to be joyful, not a chore.  The whole theme of the book of Philippians is JOY.

Five Strategies to Increase Spiritual Health –

#1 Sabbath – Do you take a sabbath?  If God rested on the seventh day, what makes you think you can work 28 straight days and then get away with it?  Your body was not created to work seven days a week.  You were designed with a whole day of rest in mind.  Jesus redefined the sabbath and worship.  Heck, it is even a commandment:  Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, TAKE A SABBATH!  This must be important to God. #REST

#2 Listen – Do you know how to listen and hear the voice of God?  This happens many different ways for many different people, but the principle is sound.  If you aren’t LISTENING to God you will get sick, discouraged, troubled, confused.  A great question to increase spiritual health, What was the last thing God told you to do?  Did you do it?

#3 Prayer – How is your time where you talk to God?  Here is a three prong strategy to learn to pray.  Divert daily, Withdraw weekly, Abandon annually.  This means you are going to set aside focused time every day, week and year to talk to God.  The priority of prayer = progress

#4 Community – Are you faithful to your friends who are Christ followers?  Are you living as a family as the body of Christ.  This means you have to be committed to the church in your local community being inspired, shaped and encouraged by others.  Don’t get duped by angry, hurt Christians, The church matters to Jesus, engage in it 100%!

#5 Serving – Some people try and limit spiritual health to learning, reading and consuming God.  It just doesn’t work that way.  Do you have a constant output and passion for serving those whom you come in contact with?  Serving might just be the thing you need to kick that nasty spiritual virus you have been carrying around.

Our small groups are kicking off and these next four weeks will be teaching us to totally DEPEND on God.  The Gospel is worth it.

Leave a comment below of what is ONE Action STEP you will take to increase your Spiritual Health? 

Josh

Join us at 217church for our new series Live Differently…

April 27 – Spiritual Health

May 4 – Financial Health

May 11- Family Health

May 18 – Physical Health

Join us at 217church, a multi-site, contemporary church in Mercer County NJ.  217church is a family with small groups in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that meets Sundays in the Hamilton AMC24 Theater 9:30 & 11am and Grace Rogers School in East Windsor, NJ at 10:15.  Our new East Windsor Campus meets every Sunday.  If you are looking for a church in East Windsor NJ, Lawrenceville NJ, Ewing NJ, Robbinsville NJ, Hightstown NJ, Hamilton NJ, Mercer County, Middlesex County or Bucks County, PA, don’t miss our weekend services. Visit www.217church.com for more information.