Flabby Christians

Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

I avoid gyms. My first (and last) experience at a gym was when I was at Auburn. Some friends invited me to work out and so I went. It was not an enjoyable experience. Mirrors were everywhere! Whichever way you turned, you were looking at yourself (and frankly, I didn’t like what I saw). Then there were confusing machines I had no idea how to use. At least with the free weights I had some sense of what to do, but I had to hunt for the really light ones (embarrassing!).

Bible study is a gymnasium for the soul. The word translated discipline in our Bibles is actually where our word gymnasium comes from. Our souls need to be exercised just like our bodies do. God’s Word will get you into spiritual shape, but Bible study is not easy, nor is it always pleasant.

The Bible can challenge our minds. Peter said that some of Paul’s letters were “hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16). In the book of Acts we read of an evangelist who asked a man who was reading from Isaiah if he understood his reading, to which the man replied, “How can I unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31)

We’re often too self-conscious to ask for help with a tough passage. Our pride is wounded when we come to a text that is too “heavy” for us, and so we walk away from God’s gymnasium convinced that it is simply not meant for us.

The Bible is also a mirror that reveals our imperfections.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and it is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed (James 1:23-25)

We’d rather not look very long into God’s Word because we don’t like what we see. It exposes our weaknesses and faults. We see selfishness and pride. We see lots of spiritual fat and flabbiness hanging off of our weak faith. But instead of trying to improve our spiritual life, we would rather just walk away from the gym and forget about how pathetic we look.

What will motivate us to get back into the gym? Here are some motivational exercise tips from a fitness trainer which we’ll apply to our spiritual exercise.

Results. Nothing gets you going quite like results. Once we see the power of the Word to change our lives, we can’t get enough of it.

Setting goals. Write out specific (and reasonable) goals you want to accomplish. Make a goal for this week, a goal for the month, for the year. How much do you want to study? How often? When? What books?

Take a picture. People who want to lose weight take a snapshot of themselves. They look at it everyday and take new pictures periodically to see their results. Could you take a spiritual picture of yourself? Describe yourself as best you can. Include all of your greatest temptations and weaknesses. Write it down.

Write down your reasons. Looking at your personal weaknesses will give you motivation each day to go to the gym. Read this list everyday to remind you of why you are doing this.

Keep a journal. Keep up with how much you read each day, observations you make, lessons learned, principles to be applied.

Find a buddy. Is there someone in your family or a close friend that would do this with you? Share your goals, reasons, journal entries, or observations from your study with him or her at least once a week. It will keep you accountable and motivated!

Exercise at a set time at least five days a week. It doesn’t have to be long, but it does need to be regular. Consistency is the key. You can firmly establish a new habit in 21 days.

Start with something you like. Save the heavy lifting for later. To get you in the habit pick out easy books that are more enjoyable for you.

If you’ve become a flabby Christian, stop making excuses and get back into the gym! There’s no better time to start than right now! You can do it!

For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

~ by David Maxson