The "paramount importance" of keeping "spiritually fit"

From 1 Timothy 4 with notes:

Take time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit. Bodily fitness has a certain value, but spiritual fitness is essential both for this present life and for the life to come. There is no doubt about this at all, and Christians should remember it. It is because we realize the paramount importance of the spiritual that we labor and struggle. We place our whole confidence in the living God, the savior of all men, and particularly of those who believe in him. These convictions should be the basis of your instruction and teaching. 

As we look at the “paramount importance of the spiritual,” how are you and I to stay “spiritually fit”? Well, how do we stay physically fit? If you utilize that wondrous commentary known as the World Wide Web, you’ll find all kinds of helps and theories on the topic of a great workout. One website I found was especially fun, listing these five attributes:

1.      Rate of Perceived Exertion
2.      Actual Heart Rate
3.      Quality over Quantity
4.      Muscle Fatigue
5.      Increased Hunger

Are you kidding me?! How perfect are those pictures! As we spend time with Jesus, may our “rate of perceived exertion” go down in stepping under His yoke in His strength. May we never leave our time with Him without a marked uptick in heart-rate; pay attention to your emotions, don’t ignore them. May our quantity be overwhelmed by an experience of His quality, His goodness, His palpable Presence. May we exhaust our spiritual energy, letting our spiritual muscles get pulled, worn and fatigued, doing His sort of daily work. And, above all, may our life-in-Him create a hunger that is unending; may more Jesus lead to hunger for more Jesus.