Maintaining A Strong Spirit

There is a way we can work with God, do everything He is asking us to do, and not get burned out. This is what we will call: maintaining a strong spirit. We can spend quality time with God, our spouses, our children, in our careers, balance church/ministry responsibilities, and still have time to save souls and make disciples. Of course, for some, with busy schedules to balance–at every phase of our life–this can be a challenge and will require management, organization, and strategy.

1. Words Can Bring Faith, Doubt, or Unbelief

“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:4

This begins with what we fill our minds with. Just like we eat food to fill our physical needs, our nourishment necessary to maintain optimum health. Words we speak or words we hear are feeding our minds and also feeding us spiritually. These words will affect us positively or negatively. We build our faith, or we drain our faith. It is our choice so we must intentionally choose what God’s Word says. In every season of our life, we keep God’s Word in our hearts and allow those words into our life consistently. God’s word is our spiritual nutrition bringing us optimal spiritual health.

2. Our Spirit Directs Our Life

“The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?”

Proverbs 18:14

Our spirits can work with our body to keep us healthy, if we meditate on God’s word regarding healing for our life. We allow God’s word to block the voices of doubt and disbelief as we hold tight to our faith in every area of our life.  Positive words, positive attitudes, strong faith, and trust in Jesus Christ can help us endure hard times.

3. Spiritual Drains

“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.  Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.  Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

Proverbs 4:20-23

Worry, unbelief, and offense are emotions–enemy attacks–that can drain our spirit if we allow them into our life.  However, the quickest way to drain our spirit is through unbelief.  Whatever is in our spirit and our heart will determine how far our life will go.  

We are to protect our heart and our spirit from spiritual drains if we want to make it to our promised land.  Protecting our heart and spirit involves protecting our ear gate and our eye gate.  This is our responsibility, not God’s or anybody else.  These gates give access to our heart and our heart is connected to our mouth. There is power in our tongue.  We can speak death or we can speak life–our words create our future.

4. Spiritual Warfare

Symptoms of a weak spirit are when we sleep eight hours, wake up, and still feel tired.  This is a symptom of spiritual weakness which is usually a result of spiritual warfare.  Being easily discouraged can also be a symptom of a weak spirit.  It can be that one little bad report that takes you down emotionally.  Fearfulness and worry is another symptom of a weak spirit.  A weak spirit can also cause us to become unmotivated, with no drive, and no excitement for life.  Don’t allow these symptoms to become a stronghold in your life.  We are called to purpose, vision, living a life of abundance, and a life on fire for the Kingdom of God.

Spiritual warfare usually proceeds our victories over the enemy.  His counter attacks are all through the Bible like when Elijah was victorious when he called fire on all the prophets of Baal.  His victory was over the enemy, and soon after this victory, the enemy counterattacked and sent him cowering away from Jezabel’s words of intimidation.  God had to send an angel to strengthen his weakened spirit.  We can’t let our guard down and we have to be prepared for the enemy’s counterattacks.  The higher we want to go with God, we have to always be sober, vigilant, and keep our guard up.

Final Thoughts

In every season of our life, we must keep God’s Word in our hearts and allow those words into our life consistently.

God’s Word is our spiritual nutrition bringing us optimal spiritual health.

Positive words, positive attitudes, strong faith, and trust in Jesus Christ can help us endure hard times.

The higher we want to go with God, we have to always be sober, vigilant, and keep our guard up.