Spiritual Recovery | FIT FAITH

So you’ve heard of physical recovery; you know you need to recover physically. But did you know that you need to recover spiritually too? You do. Actually, you need to do that daily. Just like when you finish a hard workout, you want to make sure that you take some sort of recovery so that your body is ready for the next day.

You need to do that spiritually too. And you know, in the gym, on the court, wherever that is, it’s really just you and the ball, you and the bar; it’s you trying to get better, faster, stronger. It’s really you against that thing. But spiritually, it’s actually even more important to recover because you have forces working against you. Did you know that?

So the Bible says this: "for everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life comes not from the Father, but from the world." That's 1 John, Chapter 2. So it’s saying that what you do, what you see, and the desire to please people is actually actively working against you. In John 10:10, Jesus says this: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

So it’s not just you and Jesus. You have things – Satan – that are actively working against you. You need spiritual recovery daily. If you neglect that part of your life in the gym, then you’re going to be a little slower tomorrow than you were today. Neglect recovery over the course of a month, you may have to go to physical therapy to recover. You neglect spiritual recovery for a day, for a week, for a month, and you may not recognize yourself. You need spiritual recovery. And I’ve got a few ideas for you on ways that you can actually recover spiritually on a consistent basis.

At our church where I’m on staff, we have what’s called Celebrate Recovery. So the first thing that I would say is, look for a Celebrate Recovery near you. It’s going to be an incredible way for you to plug in with other people and receive truth and worship on a regular basis.

Here’s what I do, too. I spend time daily with the Lord. Jesus says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” So if you’ve got these forces that are working against you and you have Jesus on the other side who's saying I have come so that you could not just endure life, but so that you could have life and have it abundantly, then He needs to be the source of where we get our recovery.

Another thing that you need to do is confess your weaknesses. There is a God and it is not you, said John Ortberg. And I think it’s a reminder for us that there is a God and that He’s in control and that He has a purpose for our lives. As we confess our weaknesses, our souls receive strength because we’re reminded that we don’t know everything, we can’t endure everything on our own, but we have a God who is for us, who loves us, and who wants us to experience life abundantly.

Another thing that you should be doing is find something that you enjoy doing. God has created us to enjoy life. To find those things that refresh us is so good. Maybe it’s hiking, maybe it’s biking, maybe it’s running, maybe it’s spending time with your friends. Whatever that is that you would say in your honest moments, “this really gives me joy.” If it’s not something that’s sinful, then it’s from the Lord. He wants you to experience that and be refreshed.

One last thing that I would say is that your heart and soul need consistent worship, and not just on your own. You need that with other people. You need to be consistently engaged with the local church. So that means that you’re going to be hearing God’s word taught, you’re going to be singing and worshiping with other believers, and you’re going to have a chance to fellowship with Him too. You need that. Your heart needs that. Your soul needs that. If you’re going to recover and fight against the forces that don’t want to see your relationship with God thrive, then you have to do those things. Don’t just think about recovering physically, think about recovering spiritually.


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