Working out is my least favorite activity. I hoped that after my heart transplant I would learn to love it, but alas, I will forever want to lounge like I’m the main character in a Victorian novel about a woman recovering from consumption at a seaside cottage. Unfortunately, regardless of my proclivities, I have to exercise because my muscles will atrophy, and I won’t be able to use them properly.

Our spiritual muscles are the same way. We must exercise them to stay in spiritual shape! Over the past year, I have started “exercising” my ability to listen to the Holy Spirit. I use this analogy because it takes time, dedication, and training to learn how to listen to the Holy Spirit. It’s not something that happens without effort—we have to train ourselves to listen to Him. It’s been said that God is a gentleman; He won’t shout at you. That is true of the Holy Spirit as well. He whispers, and it’s our job to hear clearly.

Over the past year, I have honed my listening skills, and you can do the same by beginning with prayer, asking God to give you a listening ear and clear opportunities to respond. And then, just start listening. The only way I can describe how it feels when the Holy Spirit speaks to me is as a gentle tug on my heart. You may be driving down the road when a person suddenly pops into your mind. Or you may pass someone who looks like they need help or a kind word. Take this as an opportunity to reach out. I’ll give you an example.

I was leaving a doctor’s office a few weeks ago when I passed an elderly woman trying to get her husband out of a car. Instantly, the Holy Spirit tugged at my heart: “Help them.” I didn’t want to stop. I hate offering help because you never know how it will be received. Sometimes people take offense, as if you’re saying they’re incapable. I’m also a huge introvert, so talking to people I don’t know can give me anxiety. Regardless, I knew it was the Holy Spirit, so I stopped and asked if I could help. Together, we got the elderly man into a wheelchair. At the end, his exasperated wife thanked me profusely, saying, “I wouldn’t have been able to get him into this chair if you hadn’t helped.” I quickly replied, “It’s just Jesus,” and she laughed in agreement.

I share this story to show you three key things you must do to build your “listening to the Holy Spirit” muscle:

• Pray for God to speak to you through the Holy Spirit
• Be attuned to the gentle tug on your spirit
• And the third—the most important thing: ACT IMMEDIATELY. Don’t hesitate. The Holy Spirit works on His time, not yours. That phone call, text, card, or action He has prompted you to do has a shelf life. And often, it’s a short one. We can miss opportunities when we think, “I’ll do that later,” when, in fact, later isn’t when the message needs to be received.

I’m still building my spiritual muscles. It’s just like our bodies; we may be strong, but if we stop using a muscle, it can grow weak again. The same goes for listening to the Holy Spirit. If you stop striving toward that goal, you will lose ground. But the beauty that comes from listening to the Holy Spirit and acting on what He tells is that it will reveal a side of God that builds your faith and helps you show God’s love to the world. Best of luck with your exercising!