Those of you who know me personally and now, even those who don't, realize that I'm somewhat of a fan of fitness. Note...I didn't say I was a fanatic about fitness, but I most definitely am a fan of fitness. About 5 years ago, I decided that I had had enough of my fat, lazy, gluttonous self so I decided to do something about it. I started out with a little running, then transitioned to resistance training, then to P90X Lean, P90X Classic and P90X Doubles. I'm happy to say that through the whole process, I've lost and kept off nearly 50 pounds. Not only that, my health is much improved. I was on medication for my blood pressure by the time I was 25 and was told, then, that I'd be on it for the rest of my life. However, 50 pounds lighter and my blood pressure isn't just under control with diet and exercise...it actually runs pretty low...like 170/68 low!
Just recently, my wife decided to get in on the fun. She got us started on a new program called T25. 25 minutes a day, 6 days a week and, boom, you reach some pretty cool fitness goals. I've enjoyed working out with her for a few of reasons. 1 - I get lonely working out alone so it's cool to have someone sharing the experience, sweating with me and HURTING with me. 2 - I push myself a lot harder when she's there because: A - I don't want her to show me up, and, B - I want her to think I'm tough. And, reason number 3 why I enjoy working out with her...spandex and sports bras! I really think I could get my heart rate up just as high by sitting and watching her workout...but, anyway, we digress!
Now, I learned pretty early on in the whole exercise game that it was called "working out" for a reason. Let's be honest, if you go to the gym and just look at the cardio equipment, nothing will happen! Even if you get on a device or two...if all you do is put forth minimal effort...nothing will happen! Let's say you go move around a few weights, but you don't really do it with any intensity...nothing will happen! In order for "working out" to actually work, you've got to actually work at "working out"! For those of you who go to gyms, I'm sure you've noticed your share of "gym rats"...folks who hang out at the gym, but don't actually do much. Are these folks usually the picture of fitness? Not really!
So, this whole idea is fresh on my mind this week because, just last week, Wendy and I decided it was time for our oldest son, Zach (AKA Man Cub), to join us in our athletic endeavors. He's recently joined the baseball team at his school and, for about the last 12 years, he's been getting a little soft around the middle so we decided it was time for him to get in on the family fun. Let me just say that my workouts have suffered. First off, he doesn't want to get up at 4:45 AM each morning to join us. I'm literally dragging him out of bed each morning. Secondly, he doesn't really see the value in it so he only wants to put forth minimal effort. I'm not saying he's lazy, exercise just isn't his thing...he's more of a gamer. But...we've decided, for him, that he needs to get in better shape (and that it's a perfect opportunity to teach him how tough his mom and dad really are).
This morning, I spent almost the whole 25 minutes of T25 reminding Man Cub that the reason it's called "working out" is because it involves work! Like, literally, ever minute or two I was fussing about his lack of effort. Half steps here, shuffles there, pikes instead of planks, butt high in the air pushups, bending over instead of squatting, and standing instead of lunging all summed up to major frustrations for dear old dad! DID I MENTION THAT IT'S CALLED "WORKING OUT" FOR A REASON?
Zach doesn't really see the value in it all. In fact, for him, our workouts are a lot more like torture sessions. Honestly, I'm pretty sure that's exactly where taking out the trash ranks for him also, but that's a different issue for another blog. So, yeah, Zach doesn't see the value in working out because he hasn't fully got a grasp on how all of his efforts will be rewarded. In his mind, he's putting up with a lot of pain, discomfort and struggle, but not really getting any immediate gratification out of it...therefore, it's not worth doing.
Now, before you get all "That boy just ain't right" on my boy, let me say that, more likely than not, you're probably a lot like him...just in a different way. Spiritually, us "Christians" tend to be a lot like Man Cub and his exercises. We expect the Christian life to be easy and to be full of rewards. We put forth minimal efforts, but expect great reward. In our minds, coming to Jesus should make our life better. We should be MORE blessed. And, when it doesn't happen that way, we get pretty upset and start questioning God, at the best, or questioning the existence of God, at the worst.
Two quick cases in point, here:
First, I actually had a guy tell me, one time, that the reason he was so obedient to God and tried to live for God was because he knew that as long as he obeyed Him, God would bless his business. In other words, his obedience to God had little to do with his love for God, but was based on a return investment from God! My question, of course, was, "Well, what happens when your business struggles or things in the economy go bad? Will you continue to obey God?" Does God bless us? YES. Does God bless us as repayment for obedience to Him? NO!!!! He blesses us because He's good...and, in case you haven't noticed, He blesses the righteous and the evil alike! So...I don't think we can ever mistake God's blessings for Him being happy with us OR, on the other hand, mistake struggle and hardship with God's dissatisfaction with us. Got that? Good...next case.
Second, the church that I am part of had a pretty bad thing happen on one of our recent mission trips. Someone on our team was actually arrested for something they didn't even realize was wrong. They spent at least a month in a foreign prison. As a church, we spent a lot of time in prayer and serious concern for this person's safety and for how the fallout would effect our ability to minister in the region. This person is safely home now, but the point that I want to focus on is as follows. There were actually good people...some of whom I had previously considered to be spiritually mature...who said that this happening was PROOF that God didn't want us working in that area any more. In fact, according to some of them, God didn't want our church doing foreign missions AT ALL. In their way of thinking, God wouldn't allow bad things to happen to us if we're in the middle of His will. And, since something bad happened, it must be proof that God doesn't want us involved in those things! Just thinking about this makes me want to drop-kick some Christians...don't they know we're in spiritual war? Hello, war = not easy!
Enter a fellow by the name of James. Yeah, I know I talked about him in my last blog too...get used to it. So this fella, James, says something pretty radical in the face of the above cases. "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4) So James says there are a few things we need to recognize about trials (i.e., hard times, struggles, persecutions, etc).
First of all, he says we should EXPECT them! In James way of thinking, hard times are just part of life. However, to take it a step further, if you're a Christian, they're definitely going to be part of your life...at least James thought so...and so did Jesus! In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us not to be surprised when the world hates us because it hated him first. I believe that if we are hated by the world, that's going to create some problems for us, right? In that way of thinking, experiencing hard times actually identifies us MORE with Jesus and true faith, not the other way around! So...expect hard times.
Secondly, we should EMBRACE them! "What, are you crazy, Wayne?" No more crazy than James! He said, not only should we embrace them, but should consider the whole thing a "great joy". I'll admit that, even, sounds a little crazy to me. However, the reason we should have joy in the midst of suffering is not because we're a bunch of masochists, but because we realize that God will bring something good out of our suffering. In fact, this is what turns modern-day "name it and claim it" theology on its head! Today's theology would claim that God wants you to be blessed physically, spiritually, materialistically, etc. However, the truth is that God, routinely, allows his children to go through intense suffering in order that He might bring them through it and produce something of much greater value on the other side! God doesn't care about your car or house or clothes or bank account...He cares about your soul...and the souls of countless other millions out there! For years I've heard it said that "the church is built on the blood of the martyrs". God has allowed Christians, through the ages, to go through some of the most intense suffering we could imagine in order to build up His Kingdom! So, let's just get real about this "God doesn't want us doing missions if it's dangerous" crap! The truth...the more dangerous it is, the more God will probably be in it! This idea is so foreign to us American Christians because we spend 99% of our time running from anything that would be uncomfortable or dangerous. In fact, I'm pretty sure that comfort and safety have become the gods of the the 21st century American Christian. (I could talk about this for a month so let's just move on...)
Thirdly, James says that we should ENDURE them! We endure suffering for the glory of God and the growth of our own faith. It would do us all well to remember, in our times of suffering, that our circumstances are just circumstantial. That means they're temporary. I've seen great go to tragic in a heart beat. I've seen those on the highest pedestal fall to the lowest depths. I've seen people at rock bottom be lifted to the mountaintop. Whatever your situation is in life, it's not permanent! Hey, and that's exactly God's perspective on things. Realize that the majority of the issues we think are so devastating are little more than blips on the radar of the screen of eternity. When you're able to adopt God's perspective on struggle, sacrifice and pain, it really changes how you feel about your circumstances. The reward for our endurance in the face of struggle and pain is maturity of faith and the crown of life (James 1:12). That's a great reason to stick with Jesus through the hard times! Living in light of eternity makes the dark times, in this world, not quite so dark...
In T25, Shawn T has a saying that he throws out there when the workout gets tough, "Don't run from the pain, feel the pain." I believe that's something that Christians need to hear and live. When it comes to life's pains, instead of running from them, we need to feel them. Instead of turning our backs on the hard stuff, we need to throw our shoulders into it. Instead of trying to keep our hands clean of all of the muck and mire and hard work, we need to jump in to our neck and get covered in the dirt of struggle and pain as we build the Kingdom of God and reach the world with the Gospel of Christ. And when hard times come upon us, instead of whining and complaining, we need to expect them, embrace them and endure them for the glory of God. The Apostle Paul once told a body of believers that they needed to "work out" their "salvation with fear and trembling". (Philippians 2:12). You know, if you're "work out" doesn't require work then the "work out" isn't going to work! After all, it's called "working out" for a reason!
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