"5 Ways to Have More Energy"
By Steve Backlund
Most of us greatly value living an energetic life. We desire to have motivation, enthusiasm, and inspiration.
There are a number of reasons for the level of energy we experience. Some of the reasons are certainly physical and connected to how we take care of our bodies - our nutrition, our sleep habits, exercise, and learning what recharges us as individuals. Although taking care of our physical bodies is important, there are soul and spiritual reasons our energy levels can be affected as well. This is the focus of this blog.
Here are five ways I personally have found myself to have more energy, and I believe they will help you as well.
1. Prioritize Having a Vision and Hope – “Without a vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29). Where there is no vision or hope for the future, improvements slow down dramatically or stop. Hope is the belief that the future will be better than the present, and we have the power to help make it so. It is the fuel of motivation and energy. A vision for the future gives us purpose and energy for the present. Just as an athlete will be energized by a vision of achieving a gold medal, we too will be motivated largely to the degree we believe we are significant and that we are preparing for great things ahead.
2. Deal With Personal Guilt – Guilt and condemnation drain us of personal energy. Whether we are experiencing legitimate guilt or battling lies from the “accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10), we will find a lack of “get-up and go” unless we deal with it. It is the wise person who makes a list of everything they feel guilty about and intentionally decides what to do about each item. Some of these will need a specific action to be taken (repentance, asking for forgiveness, doing something we have procrastinated about, etc.), while others will simply need the decision that nothing is to be done except to reject the guilt. As these areas of guilt are faced, energy will increase in our lives.
3. Perform Your Commitments in Faith, Not Duty – Faithfulness is not just showing up to our commitments, but how we think before showing up, when we show up, and after we show up.. Many do not have energy for the normal routines of life (coming home, going to meetings, appointments, times with the Lord, etc.) because it is done as a duty and obligation, instead of done in faith. When we activate our faith by saying things like, “This is going to be a great meeting,” we increase our energy because faith is the catalyst for spiritual energy.
4. Encourage Others – I travel extensively, speaking to churches, conferences, and leadership teams. I have noticed one main reason leadership teams are tired is because of a lack of mutual encouragement. Little or no intentional encouragement = tiredness. Regular, proactive encouragement = energy. One of our greatest assignments is to increasingly encourage others (Hebrews 10:24-25). As we do this, we will find ourselves more encouraged and energized.
5. Speak Life – Our words are directing agents of our lives (James 3:2-5). Whatever we speak a lot about, we get pulled towards. If we constantly speak about how tired we are, we will experience more tiredness. Often, tiredness is a negative mindset which is reinforced by regularly speaking about our experience instead of God’s promises. Just as sports coaches energize their teams through what they say, we can inspire ourselves by declaring truth over our feelings of lethargy, passiveness, lukewarmness, and victim mindsets with our words.
Here is a basic list of declarations I have given to people for years to help get you started:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)
My prayers are powerful and effective (James 5:16b)
God richly supplies all my needs (Philippians 4:19)
I am dead to sin and alive to live supernaturally (Romans 6:11; 2 Peter 1:4)
I walk in ever-increasing health (Psalm 103:1-3, Isaiah 53:5)
I live under supernatural protection (Psalm 91)
Like Jesus, I prosper in all my relationships (Luke 2:52)
I consistently bring God encounters to other people (Mark 16:17-18)
Through Jesus, I am 100% loved and worthy to receive all of God’s blessings (Colossians 1:12-14)
Each of my family members is wonderfully blessed and radically loves Jesus (Acts 16:30-31)
I uproariously laugh when I hear a lie from the devil (Psalm 2:2-4)
In closing, feast on this promise of strength and energy in Isaiah 40:28-31:
"Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might, He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”
Wow! We are accessing that promise today.