I’ve been searching for a while now to find a way to get rid of some unwanted midlife pounds and have tried all the usual avenues with only limited success. But recently, thanks to my innovative and tech saavy kids, I think I may finally be on the road to a skinnier and healthier me. What is my new secret weapon in the war on fat, you ask? It is a Fitbit fitness tracker! My children gave me one for Mother’s Day and I am loving it. It tracks my heart rate, number of steps taken and miles covered each day, number of calories consumed, and even quality of sleep.

The secret of the Fitbit seems to be its ability to increase awareness of how much one actually moves in a given day. It is a barometer, of sorts, of my physical health and well-being. I can even challenge my Fitbit-wearing friends to take more steps than I do in say, a day, or over a weekend…and I can earn badges and awards to post on my Facebook page, as well…woo hoo! Hopefully my initial excitement and motivation will carry on long enough for me to see results.

On a recent walk, as I briefly checked my Fitbit to see how many miles I had covered, I thought to myself, “What if there were such a thing as a spiritual Fitbit that monitored not my physical stats, but my spiritual ones?” Wouldn’t that be amazing, as well as, potentially eye-opening for many of us?

Just as my Fitbit monitors my heart rate, a spiritual Fitbit would monitor my heart for God. It would reveal things like: Whether my heart is tuned towards Him; whether I am fully devoted to Him or have a greater love for things of the world.

And, what about my steps? A spiritual Fitbit would tell me whether I am walking towards the light or away from it, whether my feet are carrying me to places that are pleasing to Him, whether or not I am using my feet to serve others, and, whether or not I am going into all the world to share the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.

My Fitbit also tracks my mileage–how far I have come. A spiritual Fitbit would tell me how far I have traveled since I first met Christ. Am I still a baby Christian? Or have I grown in the faith through participating in Bible study, listening to inspired preaching, and fostering relationships with mature believers? As Christians, we should always be growing in knowledge and wisdom–ever-moving towards Christlikeness and maturity in the faith. If you have been a believer for many years, would your spiritual Fitbit reflect that? If so, have you given back–using your knowledge and maturity to teach and counsel others who are new to the faith?

There may not be such a product out there, but, we can certainly monitor our spiritual well-being in other ways. We can check ourselves against the truth and mandates of God’s Word. We can pray for God to reveal our shortcomings and to clear a path before us towards spiritual maturity and purpose. And we can take steps to grow in Christ such as: spending regular quiet time alone with God; becoming a part of a local Bible-teaching, spirit-led church; developing relationships with other Christians whose lives reflect spiritual maturity; and determining to go where Jesus would have us go–spreading the fragrance of His love with a lost and hurting world.

I pray for good health–physical and spiritual–for you, my readers. Enjoy keeping your physical body in tip-top shape, but don’t forget to check your spiritual Fitbit, as well, as you move on down the road of spiritual maturity, Christlikeness, and purpose!

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5