Spiritual muscles

I apologize for not having written a substantial posting for a few weeks.  I heard a talk on Sunday at church that I keep thinking about and I wanted to share it.  I feel like it was directed at me and I'm grateful for that.  The topic was about the Spirit.  I feel like I have been in a spiritual slump lately and I am trying to resolve it.  I have decided that when we think we are doing really well in our lives and doing everything that we should, we cannot stop trying.  We always have to put in more and more effort to stay spiritually strong.  I need to continue to endure, but since life can be so fun (or we can make it that way), it does not always have to feel as if I am just enduring to the end.  I also have to realize that we are continuously being refined.  When we feel a sharp decline in our spirituality, let us double our efforts - keep moving and trying.  One resolution to picking ourselves out of a spiritual slump is to focus on the needs of others - focus on what we can do for others and put them first.  I truly believe that our frustration will diminish if we are seeking ways to involve and assist others in their lives. 

I liked the analogy that I heard about a runner - a runner who endures until the end.  A runner needs to endure to the finish line and the only way to do this is to condition and practice each day before the marathon.  A runner is conditioned to maintain his pace and endure to the end.  So should our spirituality be: we need to condition our spiritual muscles to endure to the end and perform well. 

Understanding this eternal principle of work allows us to become more like our Savior.  Constantly working to maintain our spirituality keeps us in tune with what the Savior and Heavenly Father would have us do.  For those unexpected moments when we are asked to perform a task to the best of our ability, the only way to successfully accomplish the task is to have been daily conditioned by the Spirit to silently and meekly listen to that still, small voice.  I find it interesting that the Spirit will never yell or nag at us - it will simply withdraw.  We radiate what we are.  I do not like being in a spiritual stagnation - it coarsens the soul and creates a hole for temptation to crawl through.  When I remember my relationship with my Heavenly Father, I remember to never lose confidence and continually trust in Him.