Personal Development: How to Train the Human Spirit.
By Pastor Toks Adejuwon (@toksadejuwon)
Just like the mind, the human spirit can be educated and trained. It can be built up in strength just like the body can be built up in strength. Here are 4 simple steps that will help us train our spirits:
1. Meditate in the Word
To build up a healthy and strong body, it’s not what we eat that counts; It’s what we digest. The same goes for our spirits. Joshua 1:8 makes this clear. Moses had recently died and Joshua was just beginning his ministry. As Moses’ successor, he had some big shoes to fill, and this was what God told him:
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
Joshua 1:8
Now, this tells us how to prosper and how to have good success in life, and how do we achieve that? By meditating in the Word.
The Hebrew word translated “meditate” here in the Old Testament also carries with it the thought of “to mutter” i.e, to say something quietly to oneself. You don’t even have to be a Hebrew scholar to figure that out. Notice it says: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein…” That immediately tells us something: that our mouth is a part of our meditation. Proverbs 18:20 says: “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth, with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.” If I’m going to fill my belly, which is my spirit, my mouth is involved. So, your mouth is not just for feeding the physical belly, it’s also for feeding your spirit. To meditate equally carries the thought of “ to actively read, to think upon, to ponder over, to say to oneself, to mutter, to toss God’s Word over and over in our minds and spirits”.
You would notice that God said to Joshua here “…for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Many a time, we pray thus: “God make me prosperous, make my way prosperous.” “Listen!, God is not the one to make your way prosperous. If you’re ever going to prosper, it will be your own doing, your prosperity is in your own hands!” You are the one to make your way prosperous. God has given us the tools whereby we can make our way prosperous. There’s a whole lot out there about keys to success, but I tell you, the real key to success is the development of the human spirit. If we can train our spirits through the Word, we will make our way prosperous and we will have good success.
2. Practice the Word: James 1:22
Be a doer of the Word.
In every situation of life, learn to ask yourself “what does the Word of God say?” and then put it to practice. Philippians. 4:6 says “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God, “ Verse 7 says “and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
Many times, we want that peace that passes all understanding but we are not ready to do what God’s word tells us to do to get it. We don’t mind doing the praying part, but often times, we don’t do the “do not fret, nor have anxiety about anything…” part. If you’re going to worry, your prayer is not going to count, it’s not going to amount to anything other than the proverbial hill of beans – it won’t amount to anything! God will not tell us to do what we do not have the capacity to do. He will not tell us to do what we can’t do. Oh, have I been tempted to worry? Many times!. What do I do in such situations? I just hand the matter over to God and I tell Him “Father, look at this situation…” One time when I was praying, I said “God, if you’re the one who is in trouble the way I’m in trouble and I can help you like you can help me, I’ll do it…” and that was the end of my prayer, case closed! Yea…I remember another time I said “Father, guess what? You are in trouble.” Someone says “What are you saying? How dare you talk like that?” Well, He said, “He will be with me in trouble” (Psalm 91:15) didn’t he? He said, “He will never leave me nor forsake me..” (Heb. 13:5), and if I’m in trouble, and He is with me in trouble, then He is in trouble
too. But I’m yet to see the trouble that will trouble Him. So, I’ve learnt to roll those cares on Him and leave them with Him. So, let’s get into the Word, let’s meditate in the Word, and let’s practice the Word. It is the doer of the Word who’s blessed and not just the hearer.
3. Give The Word of God First Place:
Remember that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8, 11, 21:6, 22:13). He’s the Alpha, He wants to come first, and He wants to be the Omega, He wants to be the final authority, so give God’s Word first place. If you’re going to train your spirit, if you’re going to educate your spirit, you’ve got to give the Word of God first place. Proverbs 4:20:22 says “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. ”
Note that God tells us to attend to His Word. What does it mean to attend to something? Well, if you are attending a class, it means you’re present. What God is saying is that where His Word is concerned, be present, and attend to it. Give it your undivided attention, everything else OUT, and the word of God IN. We’re to give God’s Word first place. You remember the story of King Asa, who had a disease in his feet. He would rather seek a physician first instead of seeking God, and so he died (1 Kings 15:23). There’s nothing wrong with seeking the help of doctors though. They are good people, and there are good, godly Christian doctors, but don’t let your faith be in that first. The Bible says for us not to trust in the arm of flesh. If you need medical help, don’t feel condemned about getting help, go get it. However, don’t put that first. The Word of God should be first place. When you are in financial need as well, before you think of whom to borrow from, talk to God about it. Put God’s Word first. I don’t think it’s a sin to borrow, but don’t let your first impulse be “who can I borrow from?.” Have you talked to God about it? Why not give Him first place? Have you asked yourself “What does the Word of God say about this situation?” Let your perspective about anything; marriage, having children, business, politics, etc, be “What does the Word of God say about it?” We are to let God’s Word trump culture, trump your perspective, trump your views. No matter what happens, we should be so Word conscious that the first thing that comes to our minds or out of our mouth is “what does the Word say about it?” and we put that Word into practice.
4. Instantly Obey the Voice of Your Spirit:
Just like your outward man has a voice, your spirit man also has a voice. Conscience is the voice of your spirit, reason is the voice of the mind and feeling is the voice of the body. Your conscience is the voice of your spirit. Any man, whether saved or unsaved, his spirit has a voice. The conscience of the man who is not born again will allow him to do anything, therefore his conscience is not a safe guide. The opposite is the case for the saved man. The saved man has the life of God in his spirit and as he gives his spirit the privilege of meditating in the word, practicing the word, and giving the word first place in his life, then his spirit becomes an authoritative guide.
Listen, we are to obey our spirits. Proverbs 20:27 says “the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” Whatever God’s Word has told you to do, don’t
pray about again. Just do it! Don’t put out a fleece. When God’s word tells you what to do, there’s no need praying; you’ll be opening yourself up to deception if you do that. Do what the Word of God says. In other issues where the Word doesn’t tell you specifically what to do, we are to instantly obey our recreated spirit. (Acts 23:1, 24:16).
Keep your conscience tender because that’s how God is going to guide you. Now, a believer who doesn’t renew his mind, who doesn’t keep his body under, who lets his flesh dominate him, who lives in the flesh, is going to have a hard time being led of God. God is going to guide us through our spirits and that’s why it’s important to keep the flesh under. 1 Timothy 1: 19 says “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.” If you don’t keep your conscience tender, you’ll make a shipwreck of your faith. Now, don’t get into sin consciousness. If your conscience is not condemning you, don’t condemn your conscience. Keep your conscience tender. Your conscience is a function of your knowledge of God’s Word, and it’s your moral compass. God will guide and enlighten us through our spirits.