Sweatin' With The Oldies

It feels a little weird to be writing my blog at 8am instead on 6am, but it's a necessary part of a new discipline that I'm working through.... it's called exercise! After procrastinating for several weeks, we took the plunge yesterday and joined the gym.

I had my first workout this morning and let's just say that I'm thankful that most people my age aren't at the gym early! While the senior adult couple on the treadmills next to me read the morning paper and hardly broke a sweat, I looked like somebody had thrown me into the club pool! They have a really cool room where you can watch the morning news while you workout. That would be great except I had so much sweat pouring down my face that I couldn't see the TVs. I think I heard them snicker at me a couple of times.

It's been a long time since I put any effort into taking care of my body. It's not so much that I didn't think it was important, just that it wasn't a very big priority in my life in light of everything else I have going on. As I have been praying about priorities, I've become much more aware of the fact that my body needs to be healthy and strong in order to accomplish the vision that God has given us for Skipstone.

I saw a shirt once that said " If our body is the temple, then I'm a mega-church!" That's pretty funny (I almost bought it!), but the truth is that our bodies are the temple of God. He doesn't reside in fancy brick buildings with imported stain glass, He takes up residence in us...."Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

This past weekend, our church had their Middle School D-NOW weekend. The theme was "Locker Room" and they talked about how when big things happen in the locker room, big things happen on the field. The key verse was I Timothy 4:8 "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." A funny thing happened when they ordered the t-shirts for the event.... they came back with the wrong verse! Instead of I Timothy 4:8, they had I Timothy 3:8 "Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain." Needless to say, Eagle's Landing has 250 shirts for sale at a very reasonable price!

As I've thought about this journey of "getting in shape", especially in light of I Timothy 4:8, I'm prayerful about four ideas that will help me physically and spiritually:

1. Attitude - Whether we are getting in shape spiritually or physically, our attitude is critically important. If I see my faith as a list of "do not's" as opposed to a guide for victorious living, I'm not likely to grow very much. If I focus on what I "can't eat" instead of the good stuff I "should eat", the results may be disappointing.

2. Environment - If I want to develop my spiritual life and become a strong Christian, I must choose the right environment. I need to surround myself with people who are striving to do the same, and that love me enough to hold me accountable. The same is true with physical training.... I must drive pass the Krispy Kreme store with the "hot sign" on or I will have a lot more running to do. (incidentally, I found it interesting that an hour in the gym this morning burned about 300 calories... about like cutting one coke out my day....this is not going to be easy!)

3. Intentional - This is one of my words for the year. In every area of my life, I want to be more intentional. Spiritual growth doesn't just happen.... I must be intentional about my time with God. Contrary to what we see on TV, there is no magic way to get in shape... it just requires being intentional about going to the gym or watching what we eat.

4. Commitment - This doesn't require a lot of explanation. Spiritual growth is a direct result of fresh commitments to God in our everyday walk.... surrendering more and more of our life to him. Probably the reason most of us don't get in shape or stay in shape is because we are not committed to it - at least not for the long haul.

I'm looking forward to hearing what God has to say to me in the coming weeks. I know that if I'm not spending time with Him, and tapping into Him as the source of my strength, this gym thing just isn't going to work! I can't do it, but HE can..."...Christ in me, the hope of glory!" Colossians 1:27

Have a BLESSED day and Live For Jesus!

Whatever It Takes,
Chip