The same way that not doing physical exercise will cause your body to get out of shape, not doing spiritual exercise will cause your spirit to get out of shape. It is easy to let the day to day concerns fill up your life and take away from the time you need to stay spiritually fit. Here are some things to do to help you to get back into spiritual shape.

1. Study the Word
There are many places in the Bible where it says to continuously study the Word. Phrases such as “Study to show thyself approved unto God” and “in his law doth he meditate day and night” tells us this. We need to stay constantly in God’s Word so we can avoid the ups and downs that most people go through. This does not mean you will not have trials, but you will be in contact with God who knows what you should do to go through those trials. This leads into step 2.

2. Endure Hardship
When you do have trials, get tough. Read the Bible more, not less. Pray more, not less. Shout more words of victory, not words of defeat. This is when you need to keep up your shield of faith. Keep trusting in God’s Word. He will pull you through.

3. Be Strong in the Grace of God
It has been said that grace is God’s unmerited favor or God not giving to us what we deserve. This is part of it but there is a lot more to it. Titus 2:11-12 says that grace has appeared to all men teaching us that we should deny ungodliness and live soberly, righteously in this world. So, at the same time God is not punishing us for what we have done wrong, He is teaching us what we should be doing. To know what God is saying to us, though, we need to be listening to Him. Spend some time each day praying and listening to God for instructions for the day.

4. Simplify Your Life
There are many things that take up our time including work, school, extracurricular activities, family time and many other activities. These activities may not be bad things but if they take up so much of your time that you do not have time for God, then you need to make some adjustments. You need to have time each day to pray and read your Bible so God can speak to you and direct you.

5. Fellowship
The people you fellowship with will determine whether you are lifted up or pulled down. You need to fellowship with people who trust God. That will build you up and help you to stay close to God.
If you spend more time with people who do not know God, they will drag you down. This does not mean you are to isolate yourself from the world, but you need to make sure you spend enough time with God and those who know God so you can lift up others without being dragged down.

6. Continue On
Now that you have started on the path to spiritual fitness, you need to keep on. Do not give in to temptations to quit. Continue doing what you know to do. The result will be a life overcoming those things that come against you and living a victorious life.

Why do bad things happen to good people? That is the age-old question.

What are some of the answers people give?

- God is trying to teach us something.
- God is getting back at us for something we did or did not do.
- There is no God and things just happen.
- The list goes on and on.

The truth is that many of those bad things did not have to happen. If that is so, who is the cause? Let us clear up one thing first. God is not to blame.

In Acts 10:38 it says God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with power and went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.

In John 10:10 it states that the thief comes not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The two verses above indicate that there are two forces at work. God is the good one and the devil (Satan) is the bad one. You need to remember that.

So, how do you get in on God’s blessings and avoid Satan’s attacks?

The first thing you need to do is to become a Christian. This does not mean just going to church and being a good person. That is not what makes you a Christian. You need to believe, accept and confess Jesus as your personal Savior.

Then you need to read your Bible to become as close to God as possible. You need to realize that God is not just force out there; he is a spirit person that you can become near to. He wants you to talk to Him and He wants to talk with you. That is what prayer is.

When you read the Bible you will begin to learn God’s way of doing things. When you start actually doing things God’s way, you will become blessed.

Hebrews 11:6 says – But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Deuteronomy 30:19 states – I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

The entire 91st Psalm talks about the safety provided to those that abide in Him.

God does protect and reward people, but it doesn’t come automatically. God will tell you things to do, places to go, what to say. When you follow his directions it will work toward your safety.

God has given us everything we need to live safely, so when something bad happens look inward to what you may need to change, but never blame God.