I can’t remember what the advertisement was selling– I probably was supposed to open a new 401K. Regardless of what product the commercial was all about, it was hilarious. An overweight guy, all dressed up in new athletic apparel, is at the gym for the first time to fulfill his New Year’s resolution of losing weight. He steps on the scale to weigh himself, runs around the gym for a couple seconds, then steps back on the scale. He looks disappointed when the scale says he still weighs the same. The message was well crafted– we have unrealistic expectations and demand results too quickly.
Scripture uses imagery of athletic training when describing our faith.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (I Cor 9:24-27).
In the same way that our bodies can be in shape or out of shape, so can our souls. Spiritually we can lead a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle.
Being in shape spiritually feels even better than being in shape physically. My pastor inspiringly notes our past is forgiven, our future is secured, a purpose for today is given, and we have a new identity. A relationship with Christ shows us God’s love. How can we not thrive being connected to the Creator and Savior? But let’s be honest, it’s just as easy to live in spiritual apathy as it is to neglect the gym. Personally, the conditioning of my body and soul tend to trend together, as they are various lifestyle components which require discipline and self-control.
Have you ever tried to get back into shape spiritually? It can be really, really hard…and discouraging. Spiritually, I know how that guy in the commercial feels when he looks down at the scale and doesn’t see any results– even though he’s out of breath from running around. After a long absence from devotionals, I’ve picked up the Bible and thought it didn’t say anything relevant. I’ve been discouraged when my prayers didn’t seem to reach heaven and instead echoed back to me. It’s in these moments of vulnerability, when it’s easier to give up than keep going, when we have to take look at the big picture. We have to remember that expecting a single devotional to whip us into spiritual shape is as silly as expecting running a lap in the gym will shed a few pounds. Spiritual fitness, walking in step with the Spirit, is a lifestyle. It is constant training.
Here are a couple observations from being the out of shape guy– in the gym and at church– over the years.
Be consistent:
God is calling us to be more consistent. After all, in him we “live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). These phrases are connotations of a consistent lifestyle. Note that Paul uses the phrase “strict training” in describing a top athlete. Elsewhere in Galatians, he calls the lifestyle “walking by the Spirit.” Think of the classic scenario of a guy going for months eating poorly and getting out of shape. Then he decides to make a change and live a healthy lifestyle. The meals suddenly change. He is constantly hungry and when he works out he over-exerts himself to instantaneously whip himself into shape. He is focused on how miserable he feels because his body and mind are revolting, he is used to the old ways and the sudden change is difficult.
During this stage, my prayers are usually ugly. I’m so out of shape spiritually, my prayers are focused on me. Usually, there’s some painful event that drove me back to prayer, and I’m calling out for deliverance. The prayer is ugly and awkward, as I am ironically asking a lot from a God who I have spent little time with. Therefore, I’m primarily focused on myself and my needs. There’s certainly a time and place for these types of prayers, but those who are spiritually fit have much more mature prayer lives. If we are consistent and disciplined in our spiritual training, we avoid this difficult transition period.
Don’t be intimidated:
Have you ever been intimidated at the gym? Anytime I’m gone from it for a while, I’m very intimidated when I start working out again. Likewise, the Enemy is good at intimidating us when we start spending time with God again. When I start regular devotionals and prayer time I become bombarded with discouraging thoughts and stresses. All sorts of fears and frustrations come to the foreground.
I’ve tried to make changes so I don’t quit when I’m bombarded with negative thoughts. I used to think they were exclusively attacks from the Enemy. I’ve realized that they often are the results of coming in touch with fears and stresses that are there all the time, just under the surface, but are ignored in everyday life. These unaddressed issues were almost like the muscles I hadn’t used in times of lethargy, but were “rediscovered” when I would come back to the gym– they hurt. Prayer should be the first step in dealing with them, not a source of intimidation.
Push through setbacks:
I want to lose weight, but I keep going to Rally’s and eating burgers. After giving in, I wish I hadn’t. Then I do it again. What’s going to win—the new lifestyle or the old? So it is with sin– we’ll have setbacks, we’ll revert back to the old ways. Don’t let sin keep you from coming back to God anymore than a trip to a fast food joint stops you from going back to the gym. An evangelist at my church once explained, “A sinning man stops praying, a praying man stops sinning.” The Enemy will try to turn your failures into condemnation and keep you from coming back to God. Don’t fall for the trick, coming back to God quickly in repentant prayer will inspire you to stay away from spiritual fast food.
Be honest with where you’re at:
Who are you really? Pop culture tells us we are what our ideals are. At the gym, I like to think I’m an in-shape athlete. As I gasp for air (out of breath), and as I see myself in the mirror, it’s tough to say I’m in shape. When you’re getting back in shape spiritually, it’s important to be honest with yourself, just as it makes perfect sense for the guy in the commercial to step on the scale and see how much he weighs. What doesn’t make sense is expecting that spiritual maturity will come from a single lap around the proverbial gym. Remember, we’re being transformed into the image of Christ. “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (II Corinthians 3:18). Just as we use the imagery of “getting in shape,” God uses the imagery of being transformed into the image of Christ, the perfect man. It is an ever process, it is little by little, day by day.
So keep running around the gym—keep reading the Bible, keep praying, engaging the spiritual disciplines–you’re being transformed into the image of Christ in the same way the guy in the commercial was getting in shape. It is an “ever” process, it is a lifestyle, you won’t immediately see the results on the spiritual scale. However, just as you will get in shape if you stay at the gym, you’ll grow close to God if you keep pursuing him. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). If we can push through the weariness, if we stick with it, if we do not give up, God promises we’ll see results.