Nurturing Your Spirit

Remember the adage "garbage in, garbage out"? We often hear this phrase associated with eating or computers, but this phrase can apply to every aspect of life, even our spiritual life.

As spiritual beings, those who have eternal spirits within us, we must be careful to nurture our spirits just as we nurture our physical bodies. If all we do is "feed" our spirits garbage - violence on television, profanity in the music we hear, negativity, arguments and the like - our spirits will become frail, unhealthy and weak, just as our bodies would if all we ate was junk food. And just as weak bodies will cause us to suffer physically, weak spirits will cause to suffer as well. When life gets hard, we need to be spiritually strong to face the trials and temptations that come our way.

We can nurture our spirits, however, in a variety of ways:

• Bible Reading

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16, that "all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness..." Reading the Bible every day teaches us and trains us in the path God has for us. It helps us develop lives that are pleasing to our Creator because by reading His book, we better understand His character and expectations.

• Prayer

Just as we develop intimacy and close friendships by spending time communicating with our friends, we can develop intimacy and closeness with God by spending time communicating with Him through prayer. Doing so fills our minds with good thoughts, truth and right thinking and helps us in our daily walk with Him.

• Worship and Praise

While the church is struggling to find her place in a changing, more transient society, and while many today may not feel the same need to attend church as their parents or grandparents felt, corporate worship is still an integral part of a vital Christian walk. Drawing near to God through worship and praise in a group of other believers brings a renewal of our minds and spirits that we find nowhere else but in church. This renewal is crucial to a healthy spiritual life.

While there are many other ways to nurture our spirits such as through Christian fellowship, music, and sharing our faith with family and friends, these basic spiritual exercises will do much to ensure our spirits are strong, healthy and well-prepared for the difficulties life brings our way.

Article © 2007 Heather Quarnstrom. All rights reserved worldwide.

Heather Quarnstrom is a writer and creative designer with decades on online experience and the owner of Bishop's Corner, an online/catalog shop offering hundreds of quality gifts, home decor items, toys, housewares, furniture and more with nearly 1,000 products under $20. Visit her online store today at http://BishopsTN.com.

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