EXERCISE FOR YOUR HEART

The American Heart Association says that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of American women. They encourage women to get moving...to exercise...for the sake of their heart.

I HATE TO EXERCISE! Yes, I know it's good for me. Yes, I know I need to. Yes, I know that I'm always glad AFTER I do. But getting motivated to just DO IT is the hard part.

Our physical heart is an organ that we MUST have to live. Therefore, it behooves us to take good care of it by eating healthy, getting enough exercise and reducing stress.

But what about our spiritual heart? Have you ever thought about what is needed to get it healthy, too? I submit to you that there are several exercises we need to do to keep our spiritual heart in good condition:


Exercise #1 - Bend the knees in prayer.

A. Spend time just adoring your Savior, worshipping Him, praising Him for his goodness and his mercy and his grace. "My meditation of Him will be sweet. I will be glad in the Lord." Psalm 104: 34

B. Cleanse your heart by confessing your sins and asking for forgiveness. Your heart will immediately feel lighter. "Create in my a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me....restore to me the joy of my salvation. Open thou my lips and my moush shall show forth thy praise!" Psalm 51: 10, 12, 15

C. Petition the Lord with your needs and your burdens. He has the answers and He will meet all of your needs, thereby reducing your stress levels. "Call unto me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me." Psalm 50: 15

D. Pray for others. Getting your eyes off yourself will be good for your heart.
"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for all making requests with joy [for you]." Phil. 1: 3,4

Exercise #2 - Exercise your lips:

A. Praise the Lord! Praise will make your heart glad. "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine!" Prov. 17: 22

B. Encourage someone. "Heaviness in the heart of a man makes it stoop, but a good word makes it glad." Prov. 12: 25

C. Tell someone about Jesus! "...that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel." Eph. 6: 19

D. Keeping your mouth closed can sometimes be the BEST exercise of all! "In the multitude of words, there is no lacking of sin; but he that refrains his lips is wise!" Prov. 10: 19 "He that keeps his mouth keeps his life; but he that opens wide his lips shall have destruction." Prov. 13: 3

E. Be a peacemaker. "A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger." Prov. 15: 1

Exercise #3 - Exercise your hands:

A. Reach out and touch someone with kindness. A hug, a gentle touch, a firm handshake can speak volumes. "She stretches out her hands to the poor, yea she reaches forth her hands to the needy." Prov. 31: 20 "To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven...a time to embrace." Eccl. 3: 1, 5

B. Labor with your hands. "She looks well to the ways of her household and eats not the bread of idlesness." Prov. 31: 27 "He that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster." Prov. 18: 9

C. Give with your hands. "The righteous give and spare not." Prov. 21: 26

Exercise #4 - Exercise your ears:

A. Listen for a need you can meet. "Whoso stops his ears at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself, but he shall not be heard." Prov. 21: 13

B. Listen to wise counsel. "Hear counsel and receive instruction that you may wise in the latter end." Prov. 19: 20 "A wise son hears his father's instruction but a scorner hears not rebuke." Prov. 13: 1

C. Listen for the voice of God. Samuel, as a small boy, heard God and said "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening." "Cause me to hear your lovingkindness in the morning for in thee do I trust." Psalm 143: 8


Remember, your heart is vital to your life.

"A man's heart devises his way, but the Lord directs the steps." Prov. 16: 7

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." Prov. 22: 23

Now...let's get to it!!!