My goal for this summer as a whole has been to focus on personal growth in a variety of areas. That goal manifests in three main areas that can be described simply: physical, mental and spiritual fitness. I’ve been working on getting to the gym as often as I can and eating better. I’m beginning to prepare myself to apply to PhD programs in the fall for after I graduate in the spring as well as working on my research at the university from a distance in the time I have after I work at my full-time internship. I’ve had the goal of also working on studying the Word more, including writing here more often (which I haven’t done a great job of as of yet). Also, I have been working on focusing my thoughts on being happy with what I am doing by myself, rather than thinking as much as I usually do about finding someone to share in that journey.

The easiest part of working towards those goals has been with regards to physical fitness. I’m spending as much time as I can at a local rock climbing gym (although I’m currently fighting through a minor arm injury and am praying for healing for that), as well as training in other ways like hiking and weight lifting. This past school year, particularly in the spring semester, I never had time to devote to working out because of school commitments and an awful roommate situation which both kept me on campus every day from about 9am to midnight or 2am (and of course, kept me from eating right since I was never home to cook). Even my close friend group from back home (shout out to the Magnificent 7) is constantly working to encourage each other to get into the gym and work hard for better health this summer.

I’ve been so incredibly excited about all of this physical training that it hasn’t seemed like work. I’m loving every minute of it, and I’m constantly hungry for more even in spite of soreness and that pesky arm injury. I’m seeing progress, and I love it.

But you know what part of my training has been incredibly hard to work on?

The mental and spiritual part.

Focusing my thoughts on personal mental and spiritual growth is harder for me than I care to admit. I get busy, I get tired, I get lonely, I get burned out.

A pastor I’ve heard speak a few times likes to talk about his personal struggles with his weight, and how “fat people” (which he says including himself) sometimes try to get really good at hiding their fat. I wouldn’t call myself fat, but part of that whole physical fitness goal definitely includes shedding a few pounds, so I relate. I think we all as humans know what that means. I have a few shirts I don’t wear much anymore because they’re a little tight in the wrong places, and I tend to watch my posture solely so that some weight doesn’t show. We all strive to hide the things about ourselves that we aren’t proud of.

Thinking over that in light of my current goals brought to light a revelation this week that hasn’t left my head for the last several days. God has been telling me that I’m doing the same thing with my faith and my sin. My “spiritual fat.”

Sin and the thoughts we struggle with aren’t pretty. We don’t want to show them off or even have anyone know they’re there, so we hide them. We wear masks and smiles to cover pain and sin we don’t want to address.

For people who physically have the goal of shedding some pounds, like I do, there are solutions. Get in the gym, and eat right.

The same concept can be applied to spiritual fat. Instead of hiding our iniquities and sins, instead of putting on masks, burn the spiritual fat from the source: get in the gym, and eat right.

Getting rid of sin, getting rid of those thoughts that trouble us, and focusing on God sometimes doesn’t come easy. It takes work. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 says “…train yourself to be godly. 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.” Or, to quote some Andy Mineo, “God prepare me for the war. Comfort be the thing that’ll make a king fall. Eyes on the Lord, gotta grip that blade of the sword, tell me how you plan on gettin’ swole if you don’t ever get sore.”

Eat right by reading and studying the Word, the only truly sustaining source you can find here on this earth. Get in the gym by walking it out, sharing and studying with others, praying, running after God with all your might to do what He’s called you to do in whatever situation you’re in.

I’m really preaching to myself here, because I’m not great at any of those things. But it’s about working on those things and getting better. It’s not about where you’ve come from or where you are, but where you’re going.

Most people who have been a Christian for a little while have heard Hebrews 12:1-3, which tells us to “run with perseverance the race set before us” while fixing our eyes on the Lord, such that we “will not grow weary and lose heart.” Sometimes, running that race is hard. There will be ups and downs, there will be bumps in the road. But focusing our eyes on the finish line, on the plans that God has for us, is a motivator beyond what any other goal in this world can provide.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul talks about his own spiritual discipline in saying “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 a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

That’s some pretty vivid imagery and some pretty awesome motivation. When we go to the gym, we make our physical bodies work hard so that they get better, stronger, and more fit to handle any challenge that comes our way. So why do we not do the same as easily for our faith?

The road is hard, but the reward is great. It’s time to shed the sins and chains that bind us. It’s time to get into the spiritual gym.

 

Related Music:

Uncomfortable – Andy Mineo

Rat Race – Andy Mineo

All You Burdens – Crowder