Workout Routine
I have commented on this scripture before but I want to go back to it. "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead".
Almost 2 years ago I spent some time with God expressing my shortcomings and fears but also desires for my life. I have never wanted to walk away from my passion for Christ, but I realized I was at a critical point that could've led me to that decision.
I saw my relationship with Christ as a workout routine. When you begin to workout you usually feel it the next morning. Muscles are sore, but you are excited because you feel the affects of the workout. Soon you begin losing weight and toning muscles. The aesthetic results are pleasing. But after a time of the same routine you begin to plateau. No weight is lost, no sore muscles, and you begin to get discouraged. Sometimes you want to give up because you say what's the point? I am not seeing any results. But if you want to wake up your muscles and get back to the point where you were when you first started, you need to change the routine. Work muscles you haven't before. If you were running, you swim. If you were swimming, you do aerobics. Soon, you ache again and you are excited. Soon you see more definition or a few more pounds lost. You change your routine because you want to see results.
The same thing spiritually. If you do the same routine over and over again, you begin to lose hope. You don't see the results you want, reading the Bible begins to be just words. Sometimes you think what's the point of serving the Lord?
I prayed to God that I was fearing I was plateauing in my spiritual walk and I did not want to come to the point where I wanted to give up. I said either he was going to have to change my situation or move me from there. I was not about to let my desire for him to fade away. So, he moved me to another city. The last nearly two years has been very difficult. Even now I am not understanding why things are the way they are. There has been some good followed by tragedy. Losing loved ones, losing friends, gaining more work, so many things.
But what God reminded me of this weekend is I asked to change up my spiritual workout. I asked for the sore spiritual muscles, I asked for the different in order to see the results as I once did. I wanted to forget what was behind and strain for what is ahead. I realize I shouldn't complain because soon this pain will produce results. My faith has never been tested so much as it has been in the past two years. The workout has become like a P90X workout! It's tough!! But I know the results are going to be worth it. There are days I want to give up. It seems the more I seek God the more pain I have in my life. But that is the point! This pain that I am feeling is my spiritual workout and I must be doing something right. This encourages me greatly. Soon, I will see results. But until then, no matter what may come my way, I now have a different perspective...because my Physical Trainer is seeing me through.
Created almost 2 years ago
