Some of the most incredible outcomes happen in the most unlikely of places. Take my gym for example. They have several group exercise rooms, a spin room, the cardio room, and another room with selectorized weight machines and various other gear. Then there’s the free weight room. AND THEN there’s the iron pit or what we now fondly call the gym confessional.

To get to the iron pit you go past the water fountain, down the hall and at the back of the building you literally go down steps into the “pit”. There you’ll find more free weights along with squat racks, deadlift platforms, sleds and more -A LOT MORE! Here, even though there’s AC, you’ll find a big shop fan blowing. Gym chalk isn’t just allowed it’s encouraged. – so that you can grab hold of your greater potential. The pit is known for some serious lifting by both men and women and for some seriously tough gym attitude too. It’s a place with it’s own culture, which is why the gym confessional became such a powerful counter culture.

You’ll find my friend Chet Priest in the iron pit usually 3 times per week. Guy’s call him “Priest the Beast” and for good reason. He’s huge. He’s never pursued getting his pro card. Said he didn’t need it – didn’t want it. Maybe that’s why people are often surprised to discover that he’s even a huger Christ follower, with, I can tell you, the hugest amount of humility and grace.

The iron pit was on the verge of being closed by management. Frequent and loud profanity, wandering eyes, lots of lust topped with arrogance, lies and mean spirited behavior was the reputation of the pit. Yeah it was bad and some of the worst there were puzzled how Priest could push so hard right along with them and yet never join in any of the ugliness. It drove ‘em crazy.

One day, with a guy spotting him and several others watching, the Beast squatted a new personal best — barely. In the midst of his lift, Andre, yelled from behind, “Come on man, for Christ’s shake, show us what your F***in’ made of!” With the lift successfully complete, and everyone now cheering, Chet returned the weights to the rack, looked at Andre and gently said, “For your sake, Christ died.” The room got real still – real fast. Priest then looked at everyone and continued, “Christ died for all of us that we could be made new.” Then he started to walk out of the room.

Andre scoffed with a smirk on his face, “Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been … too long – maybe never, since my last confession.”

Priest slowly, quietly and yet deliberately turned around and looked directly into Andre’s eyes. Everybody thought he was going to beat the crap out of him. In that long silent moment we all stood stunned and caught off guard. The fan roared. Andre’s head dipped as he repeated the grave truth, “I… I HAVE sinned.” Chet walked up to him and gave him a big bear hug – and I swear I’ve never seen Andre weep like he did that day, first with pain and regret, then with repentance, and most notably with joy as he experienced God’s grace that day. To this day Andre still calls that moment his personal best.

That was a few years ago and all of us since then have found that the gym confessional isn’t just a place to lift heavy. It’s become our place to be accountable to each other, repent and grab hold firmly to God.

THINK ABOUT IT

1. Your gym may not be the ‘iron pit’ but chances are you’ve seen more going on than just physical exercise. In fact, if you’re honest, some of what’s going on is going on inside your own head. Take a moment to look directly into you. Give it a long silent moment. What is the culture of your heart?
2. In this story humility and grace are two qualities identified that give Chet Priest a reputation of loving Jesus. What Jesus qualities do you want people to see in you? How do you communicate and demonstrate those qualities?
3. Sometimes life circumstances can come together to create a pivotal point. On a spiritual level that point can be the Spirit of God calling you to be obedient and be used of God for His purpose. In this scenario it was Andre’s choice words spoken in the presences of others as Chet was in a physically challenging moment that led to Chet speaking faith-building life-giving words. What extreme or dramatic moments with others have you experienced? In those moments how has God’s Spirit moved on you? How did you respond? What was the outcome?
4. The concept of making a sincere confession, whether to God alone or in the presence of someone is difficult for many. What challenges do you face in this regard? What does it mean to have a mindset that is freed by God? Identify the qualities you would need in an individual or small group to pursue deeper fellowship and accountability. How would you grow in God if that was a consistent part of your lifestyle?

The post The Gym Confessional appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

Today for sure was a good workout at the gym. You lifted heavier, pushed harder and made some serious gains. Which is why, you could kick yourself for Getting not 1 but 2 Big Macs. At least you saw Jeff while you we’re walking in to get your carb fix.

“Hey man, What’s Up?!” you gestured.

From behind his sun glasses he replied, “Ah you know, tryin to make it the best I can”.

“That’s what I’m talkin about” you blurted back with a smile as you kept on walking. When you came back out thank God he wasn’t anywhere to be found. Your secret bag of guilty pleasure was safe.

Back in your car, driving down the road and scrafing your food you thought about how you hadn’t seen Jeff in a long time. “Wonder what he was up to these days?” You guys used to hang out a lot together. Somewhere along the way, at least you figured, he finally got as busy as you. “Bout time looser”, you laughed out loud causing you to chock and spit out a big chunk of hamburger onto the dashboard as you slammed on the breaks to avoid hitting the car in front of you.

When the light turned green the recent encounter with Jeff replayed in your mind. He wasn’t the chub you remembered. In fact he’d lost a lot of weight, maybe too much. It hadn’t been that long since you saw him last. The more you thought about it you couldn’t help but wonder if his, “tryin to make it the best I can” was code for I’m using drugs again. “Probably getting all depressed and messed up,” you thought out loud, “He’s so stupid if he’s doing that crap.”

You’d both screwed up before — big time! By the grace of God you’d not only managed to clean up your life but build a bod to be proud of. You mind wandered, “Guahsssh, look at me pigging out on this. Come on man, you’re better than this. Reflect your inner man!”

You turned up the volume on your playlist, rolled down the window, held your head high and with a powerful pitch hurled the second sandwich into the ditch.

QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION AND GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Most gym, church or studio memberships have a ‘guest pass’ feature. What are the details of that feature for your membership? Among your coworkers, classmates, neighbors, friends, family members and other contacts who could you invite to join you for some fitness and fellowship? Describe what that would look like.
2. Jeff is a fictional character who represents those people in our lives who we know but with whom we haven’t kept in contact like we could. Who are the Jeffs in your life? Recall a time when you learned that someone you know had an illness, struggle, loss, failure or other difficult circumstance of which you were not aware. How could you have helped that person? What are some ways you can reconnect with someone?
3. Think about the things you do to make yourself a better you. How can those good things become a distraction from seeing the needs of others? What are some ways you can get out of your own thoughts and agenda and be more aware of and responsive to others? Read the Bible passage of the good Samaritan and consider what lessons Christ teaches. What other Bible passages relate to this Gymnos story?
4. Recall and discuss a time in your life when you were too caught up in what you were doing and later realized you missed an opportunity to be more present in someone’s life. How can you draw on your faith in God and make it a strength you give to others in the moment?

The post What’s Up?! appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

Gymnos is the Greek origin of our modern-day word Gym. It means “naked.” GYMNOS articles in Faith & Fitness Magazine are designed to help you challenge your thinking. In the literal sense, when you are naked in the locker room there is nothing to hide. That makes most people uncomfortable. Use this scenario to get naked spiritually—be honest, transparent, undisguised and willing to be totally open with yourself and others. All characters in this scenario are fictional. Any similarity to an actual person is coincidental.

By Alisa Hope Wagner, award-winning author

Mark slowed his car as he drove past his old gym. A “For Sale” signed was posted in the patch of overgrown edging that framed the double doors. Those doors led into his old life. Chains wrapped tightly around the door handles, declaring that he would never return, mocked his loss. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, and he looked resolutely away. He pushed on the gas a little too hard, and his truck jerked forward.

He quickly slowed, eyeing for any police cars nearby who might have seen him. Wouldn’t that be his luck to get a ticket? The faces of all his old gym mates swept quickly through his mind as he glanced back at his old gym in the rearview mirror one last time. His friends were scattered for good. Some had built their own home gyms, while others found a new gym home. Didn’t matter now, he thought. Things would never be the same. He had lost that part of his life…and it was a huge loss that left an emptiness he couldn’t shake.

He assumed losing his gym membership wouldn’t be such a big deal if the rest of his life wasn’t going down the tubes. His girlfriend was depressed, and he didn’t know how to help her up. She barely left her house anymore. She’d go to work, home, grocery store and that was about it. He couldn’t live like that, and she pulled away from him even more. She feared getting sick, and she watched the news non-stop. The news had replaced their dates to the movies, concerts, restaurants and everything else. He had to stop watching weeks ago because there was absolutely nothing he could do to change things.

Then his work was the pits. He had to work remotely from his apartment, making phone calls and doing Zoom meetings. He hated it all. He was social by nature and enjoyed chatting with people—cracking jokes and watching them smile. He was good at talking and making people laugh. Now he couldn’t tell if they were smiling or frowning. The masks may help at keeping him and others safe, but they were terrible at helping him connect with people. Maybe that’s what was wrong with him. He couldn’t connect anymore. In fact, he had never felt so alone in his life.

Mark tried to focus on where he was going. It was Sunday, and he had nothing in particular to do. He looked to his right and saw people walking into a building. They were shaking hands. Some were even hugging. A few people were wearing masks while others weren’t. What was going on? He noticed the cross on the building. It was a church. Mark didn’t know why, but he turned into the driveway of the church and parked. He watched the families getting out. They seemed happy. A young girl was skipping. A wife was holding her husband’s hands. An elderly gentleman was holding the door open and greeting people.

“You don’t go to church,” Mark said out loud. “Not since you were young.”

But there was something about the people. They looked happy. They looked at peace. They looked like he used to look when he would walk into his gym…content. That didn’t sound so bad right now. He was determined to be happy again.

QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION AND PERSONAL REFLECTION:

1. During the pandemic, what have you lost? What areas of your life have been affected by COVID-19 restrictions and the lock down?
2. Do you believe that your life has meaning and that your presence during this time has a purpose? What can you do today to not only help yourself to feel better, but to make someone else’s life a little brighter?

The post Ready To Lose Everything appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

GYMNOS – Fitness Scenarios for Self-Examination

Gymnos is the Greek origin of our modern-day word Gym. It means “naked.” GYMNOS articles in Faith & Fitness Magazine are designed to help you challenge your thinking. In the literal sense, when you are naked in the locker room there is nothing to hide. That makes most people uncomfortable. Use this scenario to get naked spiritually—be honest, transparent, undisguised and willing to be totally open with yourself and others. All characters in this scenario are fictional. Any similarity to an actual person is coincidental.

By Brad Bloom, Publisher

You and Chanel work together daily. Your body-positive attitude is certainly pc and in fact it’s even appreciated. God knows she’s endured more than her share of “no judgement”.

But what does INCLUSIVE really mean – tolerance? Can you be more than her Secret Santa for the office Christmas party or the coworker who offers the occasional compliment? What would you do if God asked you to invite her to be your workout partner?

Yeah, like REALLY want her to join you – right alongside you at your group exercise class.

That’s not going to happen. Why? Because That’s the last thing Chanel wants to do, right? Maybe, maybe not. What if a meal together, leads to a walk together and eventually a Saturday afternoon at the park playing with the kids? Somewhere along the way that invitation to the group exercise class is no longer impossible it’s just the next step in a growing relationship.

Can you release your assumptions and pride to the potential God sees in you AND her and discover all the fullness of life that Christ intends for humanity? Unwrap an all new perspective on your faith and fitness. It’s time to give more than you ever thought possible because God wants you to get more than you can handle.

Is it really that hard to envision? Not if you #wrapyourheadaroundgod

Questions for personal reflection and group discussion:

1. In your day to day, perhaps at the office or in school what are the ways you interact with others? What are some of the barriers that limit good interaction and relationships? How do those barriers get constructed? In what ways do you feel God could help you to improve relations?
2. What are some of the attitudes that make it difficult for some people to not fit into a group? Explore the  Bible to learn more about Christ’s teachings on compassion, inclusion, passion for others and not being judgmental. Describe a time when you discovered the joy of fellowship with someone. What made it so good? How can you be intentional to pursue that same level of relationship with someone you think is different from you?

The post Somewhere Along The Way appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

GYMNOS – Fitness Scenarios for Self-Examination

Gymnos is the Greek origin of our modern-day word Gym. It means “naked.” GYMNOS articles in Faith & Fitness Magazine are designed to help you challenge your thinking. In the literal sense, when you are naked in the locker room there is nothing to hide. That makes most people uncomfortable. Use this scenario to get naked spiritually—be honest, transparent, undisguised and willing to be totally open with yourself and others. All characters in this scenario are fictional. Any similarity to an actual person is coincidental.

MAN MADE MUD

Training and performance have been taken to new heights these days. The adult version of mud puddles and monkey bars have become the extreme course to prove our real strength and worth. Or have they?

Creed thrives on the cheers as he overcomes the toughest of man-made barriers. But all the hours of practice still haven’t equipped him to hold tight to what matters most – his family. The Oorahs, high-fives and team shirts feel good but his kids are slipping away from him.

Call that record breaking results? It isn’t to him either!

Now more than ever before Creed knows it’s time to redefine how he measures results and base fitness on more than race times, awards and temporal celebrity status.

Beyond the ninja in him, he hopes that God has greater glory for him and a lasting value that he can give to his family. A cold beer and a good talk reviewing the highlights is nice. But deep down Creed longs for a deeper conversation about the most important race he’s currently running all by himself.

HOLD THE POSE

Everybody says the group exercise instructor is so motivational. They’re right. But for all the positivity Cali still feels empty. The hype stimulates the endorphins. Yet she longs to be valued in her weakness, when she’s alone and can’t hold the pose any longer.

The mindfulness honestly has been helpful. But it’s not the deep results she was expecting. Cali’s friends who stretch with her talk about things like enlightenment and being in a state of zen. It all seems so mystical to her. That’s the exact thing that turned her off to that “Holy Spirit” thing she used to hear about when she was going to church.

Cali does want to stretch herself. She thought this class that cultivates greater physical performance, better health and even self-satisfaction would be a move in that direction. But with each pose she’s gaining a greater awareness that there must be more. Could it be that all the flexibility in attitudes, perspectives and purpose are actually keeping her from discovering her full range of motion? One thing’s for certain – She’s put herself in a position that for some reason has her feeling rather uncomfortable.

FIST PUNCH

You wouldn’t think lifting weights with a total stranger could result in anything more than a good workout. That’s what Travis thought.

The preacher at the church he visits from time to time had thrown out a challenge several months ago. The sermon title, Be Someone’s Spiritual Spotter, had caught his attention. Travis likes to lift weights but he doesn’t identify as a strong Christian. But, for some weird reason he just couldn’t shake the invite to be that something more – to someone else. He was pretty certain he was inexperienced in exercising his spiritual gifts but he was willing to lend an ear and perhaps even be the unlikely hope to someone in need.

Last Monday Travis wasn’t expecting anything from one casual fist punch after he helped some guy by the name of Zack with a particularly tough set who asked for a spot. But, when you go into each day, each place and each interaction with others with a commitment to be used by God then the results are more than just good.

Zack thought his alcohol addiction would last a lifetime. Turns out Travis was there at the right time in Zack’s life.

Conversations, even the ones that honestly wrestle with challenges and addictions can lead to friendships and that can lead to helping someone find that God is the source of strength to overcome our greatest weaknesses.

Gaining muscle is great. Gaining lasting freedom from bondage is an outcome that proves faith makes a huge difference.

The post Results With A Punch appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

GYMNOS – Fitness Scenarios for Self-Examination

Gymnos is the Greek origin of our modern-day word Gym. It means “naked.” GYMNOS articles in Faith & Fitness Magazine are designed to help you challenge your thinking. In the literal sense, when you are naked in the locker room there is nothing to hide. That makes most people uncomfortable. Use this scenario to get naked spiritually—be honest, transparent, undisguised and willing to be totally open with yourself and others. All characters in this scenario are fictional. Any similarity to an actual person is coincidental.

Hi, my name is DeShawn and I need some advice. Before I tell you my problem let me give you a little background.

I’ve worked out since I was eighteen years old. Since then I’ve gone to the gym three days per week to lift weights. For years I have also played tennis on Saturday mornings with my friends, which I really enjoy. The tennis allows me to let out my competitive side and it’s great for exercise.

Originally I got into fitness because of my dad. I always looked up to my father. He was athletic and continually stayed in shape, so naturally I wanted to be like him. My father even had a gym in our garage where he worked out. That’s really where I first discovered the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. My favorite memories are of doing pushups next to my dad and trying to jump rope as many times as he could.

My schedule is busy and I work a fulltime job. I’ve been married for four years. My family is my life. I love my wife and we’ve always spent as much of our free time together as possible. In the early years of our marriage we often worked out together. I think this time together was crucial for the foundation of our marriage. No matter what we are doing we’ve always enjoyed spending time together to travel and experience different things.

One of the reasons I always exercised regularly was so I could stay in shape for when I had my own children. My father raised all his children to prioritize family and that is what I always planned on doing when I had my own family.

Two months ago my wife and I adopted our first child. He is a wonderfully active young boy and I love him with all my heart.

The problem is that over the last two months I haven’t been able to continue working out as regularly as I always did. I tried working out after work for a couple of weeks after the adoption but that didn’t allow me to spend any time with my son before he went to bed. Then for the next couple of weeks I tried getting up an extra hour early in the morning before work to exercise. But since I work at seven a.m. that required me to get up at five in the morning. After a week of doing that I realized I was too exhausted to spend quality time with my wife or son after work.

I also cut back on playing tennis because that took away from my family time. I really hated doing this because it gave me a competitive outlet and it was my one opportunity to spend quality time with my friends each week.

Now I’m having trouble staying in shape and I feel I’m the least healthy I’ve ever been in my life. Unfortunately it’s because of the very thing I wanted to stay healthy for, my family.

QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION AND PERSONAL REFLECTION:

Now I need your advice.

What should I do?

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Should personal health or should family be my strongest priority?

Do you think it’s possible for me to prioritize both family and fitness?

What is the correct balance between spending time exercising in order to be healthy and spending time with the family I want to be healthy for?

What are some fitness ideas that could I could implement to achieve both goals?

What scheduling ideas do you have for me that make time for both fitness and family?

HOW OLD ARE YOU?

One of the important ways we can mentally mature and spiritually be strong is to practice intergenerational fitness — exercising WITH others who have a different age than you. To do this, benefit from it and be a benefit to others you should learn about and practice accompaniment. 

It’s important to have a flexible mindset if you really want to maximize your opportunities. That means intentionally being more fluid in how you live out a fit lifestyle and expanding the scope of what you do.  Some people resist an intergenerational approach to fitness and often outright refuse to do it because they become comfortable in exercising alone or only with certain people close to their age. It shouldn’t be a matter of choosing between one approach or the other. Give yourself the flexibility to do both. Giving yourself this latitude lets you move between familiar and different, easier to more challenging, quite to conversational and much more. 

Take time to pray about HOW you do fitness and seek God’s wisdom to expand your personal potential and your spiritual influence among others.

#imoldenoughtodothis

The post Adopting A New Fitness Plan appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

GYMNOS – Fitness Scenarios for Self-Examination

Gymnos is the Greek origin of our modern-day word Gym. It means “naked.” GYMNOS articles in Faith & Fitness Magazine are designed to help you challenge your thinking. In the literal sense, when you are naked in the locker room there is nothing to hide. That makes most people uncomfortable. Use this scenario to get naked spiritually—be honest, transparent, undisguised and willing to be totally open with yourself and others. All characters in this scenario are fictional. Any similarity to an actual person is coincidental.

Jim and Michael have worked together at Vida-Tech for a couple of years. Lunch breaks are staggered. So, like many going through the daily nine to five grind, Jim appreciates the chance to have an actual face-to-face conversation when he can, even if it’s brief. Come to think of it, he hasn’t actually talked for real with anyone at church for some time. Every Sunday is a great production, a show of sorts. But, there’s often no opportunity to really connect with others. That’s what made last Tuesday so incredibly different. He and Michal were both in the break room at the same time.

“Michael, do you still go to the gym to work out every day after work?”

Michael nodded, “Of course I do. It is part of my lifestyle.”

“Great, I have a favor to ask of you. It’s starting to get warm outside and summer will be here soon. I plan to spend some time at the lake with my family, and want to be beach body ready. Would you be willing for me to join you in the gym a couple days a week? I figure if I follow your routine I can’t help but get in better shape.”

Michael smiled and grabbed his lunch bag from the refrigerator, “Yeah, sure, but it won’t be easy. We can start Monday afternoon. Be sure to stop by the Y that is near the office and join before then.”

Just because you have power doesn’t mean you have to show it off.

A few days later, Jim scanned his new membership key tag at the front desk while simultaneously looking around the crowded weight room for Michael. This sure beat the stress of the usual evening rush hour drive. A moment later Jim spotted Michael who motioned him to a flat bench in the free weight area. Navigating past grunting giants, he made his way to his co-worker – now trainer.

As Jim reached Michael and extended a fist punch, a group of guys yelled out in unison to cheer one of their buddies to successfully complete a ‘new’ heavy weight on the leg press machine.

Jim glanced at them and raised his eyebrows, “Wow, it’s almost as loud in here as it is at the company warehouse.” Mike replied, “I guess. I come to unwind after work, not get wound up.”

A loud bang resonated throughout the gym and the guy on the leg press triumphantly barked, “beast mode baby!”

One of the guys looked at Michael and pointed.

“I think he wants you to work out with them. It’s okay if you want to join them; I know how to bench press,” said Jim.

Michael laid down on the bench and gripped the bar, “Nah, its chest and bicep day, we’ll do legs Wednesday. Besides they’re not even using good form, just showing off for all the girls here. I’m not trying to impress anyone.”

As Jim took his place on the bench Michael continued, “Just because you have power doesn’t mean you have to show it off. Sometimes it takes more power and self-control not to use the strength you have.”

Jim gripped the barbell and struggled to unrack the weight.

Michael firmly grabbed the bar and helped Jim ease it upward.

After three sets of ten they removed the plates and put them away.

Slightly winded, Jim admitted, “I was a little shaky getting started. Thanks for the help.”

“No problem,” responded Michael. “There’s always going to be somebody stronger and bigger than you. At some point we all feel little in life.”

As they continued next with incline dumbbell pec flyes Jim couldn’t help but think about the Bible verse where Jesus said, “You’ve observed how those who are godless leaders throw their weight around. A little power quickly goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. If you want to be great then you must become a servant.” Jim knew that Michael wasn’t a churchgoer but he sure was willing to give of himself. In fact Mike was downright humble and generous in helping him to get fit.

Now in his last set, Jim was struggling to reach a full extension. Mike’s lunchroom warning, ‘it won’t be easy’ was loud in Jim’s mind. Jim ventured, “Since we’re doing legs on Wednesday, would you like to join me for our group Bible study afterwards?”

The invitation got Michael’s attention. He paused and just looked down at Jim, “— Maybe.”

They both remained motionless a moment longer until Jim smiled real big and said, “A little help here!”

QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION AND PERSONAL REFLECTION:

1. How does the busyness of your daily routine impact you? In what ways can an unrushed and engaged conversation between you and someone make a difference?
2. Consider times when you’ve been in the presence of apparently strong and driven people who like to loudly celebrate their success. How does that make you feel? Describe how gentleness, humbleness and serving others are a louder celebration of God.
3. How do you distinguish between sincerely sharing Christ with others and being a show off with your faith? Was Michael’s pause good or bad? How would you interpret Michael’s ‘maybe’ response and what would you do next?

The post Show Offs appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

GYMNOS – Fitness Scenarios* For Self-Examination

Gymnos is the Greek origin of our modern-day word Gym. It means “naked.” GYMNOS articles in Faith & Fitness Magazine are designed to help you challenge your thinking. In the literal sense, when you are naked in the locker room there is nothing to hide. That makes most people uncomfortable. Use this scenario to get naked spiritually—be honest, transparent, undisguised and willing to be totally open with yourself and others.

Jill arrived at her gym after a long week of deadlines, bills and kids.  She loved the free weight area where she worked out with a personal trainer and the pool where she did laps.

She passed the treadmills and machines, grabbed two towels from the rack and headed to her weekly spin class.  Spin was her absolute favorite activity in the gym.  She could push herself harder than any other workout and forget about her troubles. 

And she needed that break from reality, if only for an hour.

She didn’t worry about the project that didn’t go well at work or the phone call she received from her child’s teacher.  During Spin class, she didn’t have the time or energy to think about anything beyond the next rotation or the next breath. 

Jill always took the same bike next to the same people each class.  Donna, on her right came as often as Jill and made a good riding partner.  Kathy, the instructor was at least ten years older, but in great shape.  Her routines were fast paced and choreographed to some hardcore electronic music that motivated the class to push harder.

During their warm up, she was more than ready to lose herself in this workout when the instructor called out, “Let’s kick it into gear.  Stand and move that gear up!  I’ve got mine at 18.  You’d better be at least at 16!”  Jill set her mind to hold this pace for the next eight minutes. 

Jill’s legs burned and her lungs screamed after four minutes of pushing hard. And just when her legs started to quiver the instructor told them to move their gears to 20. She dug deep and adjusted her stances, relaxed her shoulders and pushed harder.

Sweat trickled from her forehead and trailed down her nose.  She didn’t want to lose her momentum by stopping to wipe it so she blew all the droplets from the tip of her nose.  She thought to herself there couldn’t possibly be much more time left in this routine.  She glanced up at the instructor and saw Kathy still going strong and it gave her encouragement to keep peddling.

The instructor called out twenty seconds, then ten, then five more seconds.  Jill knew she was pushing herself hard enough when she had to complete the last five with only sheer will.

The music changed tempos for the cool-down. This was peace.  This was contentedness.  This was the feeling she longed for all week long — An hour of absolute nothingness.

“Great workout today, Donna.  I know I’m going to feel this tomorrow.”  Jill hopped off her bike and began stretching.

Donna did the same.  “I hear you.  No pain, no gain, right?”

Jill feigned a smile, “I guess so.  At least I didn’t have to spin my wheels thinking about all my baggage.  I’d really love for this feeling to last.”

Donna started to reply then she hesitated – she knew God could give Jill the lasting peace she peddled so hard to find but she couldn’t exactly start preaching to Jill in spin class.

They walked toward the locker room, Donna summoned strength and wisdom from God to say what Jill needed to hear.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK?

1. What makes an intense workout a good source for relieving stress? What do you feel are the differences in relying on a workout or looking to God for stress relief?
2. Recall a time when you felt you may have had an opportunity to share a faith insight with someone but you didn’t. How can you share a Bible verse with a friend and make it relevant to his or her needs? What causes people to shy away from speaking in the moment with someone about God? What are perceived and actual outcomes of such a conversation?
3. What would your response be to Jill? How might a faith insight help her? In what ways might a faith perspective from her friend and her spin instructor benefit Jill differently? Beside the spin class, where else could you point Jill or what other resources could you offer to help her find greater spiritual strength?

*All characters in this scenario are fictional. Any similarity to an actual person is coincidental.

This article appears in the June/July 2017 issue of Faith & Fitness Magazine.

The post Spinning Your Wheels appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

GYMNOS – Fitness Scenarios for Self-Examination

Gymnos is the Greek origin of our modern-day word Gym. It means “naked.” GYMNOS articles in Faith & Fitness Magazine are designed to help you challenge your thinking. In the literal sense, when you are naked in the locker room there is nothing to hide. That makes most people uncomfortable. Use this scenario to get naked spiritually—be honest, transparent, undisguised and willing to be totally open with yourself and others. All characters in this scenario are fictional. Any similarity to an actual person is coincidental.

Edward and Diane are the everyday picture-perfect couple that decided to get a gym membership together.

During the winter months they found themselves sick, tired and frustrated. Not only could they see it, others could too. A couple of co-workers told Ed he was frequently cranky and a family member commented about how ‘big’ Diane looked in the picture she posted on Instagram. In tears, Diane called her sister. Always very close, their conversations were honest.  Her sister admonished, “You’re always telling me how you’re aching and lethargic. Take a sick day and get to the doctor.”

Surely an antibiotic and prescription pain reliever would do the trick. But meds were not what the doc prescribed. Poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise were resulting in their chronic pain, irritability and poor health. “Fix it now or diabetes, heart disease and depression are all in your future”, the doctor warned.

Not yet convinced, they booked an adjustment with a chiropractor. Hoping for a quick in-and-out solution. What they got instead was a closer look at the thoughts, toxins and traumas that have gradually debilitated their bodies AND their spirit. The real cure according to the chiropractor would only be revealed if they made some significant lifestyle adjustments.

Deep down they knew ignoring the problems wouldn’t make them go away.

So, they shopped around for a place to workout. First they looked at a small 24-hour key-card facility, then a budget gym, a commercial garage boot camp environment, a personal training boutique and finally a YMCA. Each have different selling points and drawbacks. Ultimately, Ed and Di felt the Y would be the best fit for them.

It has one of the best weight rooms around, plenty of group exercise options, even a pool, racquet ball and basketball court and a sauna when they were all done. They got into it — hitting the gym together three or more times a week. They made friends with other members who got them hooked on just how much training could make a difference. They changed their diet too as their new found friends convinced them that eating more greens was an awesome way to get healthy.

Four months into it they were losing weight, gaining muscle tone, feeling more energetic and already hyping the fitness lifestyle. One evening after a particularly intense workout Diane was back on the phone talking with her sister. This time she was bubbling, “We’re really into this diet. I look great already. Give me eight more weeks of busting it hard and at the summer family reunion it’s going to be my ‘Big Reveal’. Be ready to say hello to one hot sis! I’ve got a lot to show off.”

After the call, Diane got a short text message from her sister, “Keep it real.”

The next day her and Edward were dripping with sweat as they finished forty-five minutes of intense cardio. As they headed to the locker rooms they passed Roger, a Y employee, who smiled at them and said, “Keep it up and keep it real.” Diane abruptly stopped, “I’ve heard you tell others that. What do you do here? AND – What do you mean, ‘keep it real’?” Roger replied, “I’m the chaplain. And, I just like to challenge our members to keep their fitness in focus with the bigger picture.”

After showering, Ed and Di knocked on the door to Roger’s office, “Can we talk with you?” The next eight weeks brought about some of the toughest changes they’d ever made. The physical transformation had only been the beginning. Spiritually they were hurting more than anyone could see and far more than they had ever recognized. The fit lifestyle was really good but deeper down beyond the knowing of what they needed to do was a longing for love and greater purpose.

They found that in Christ. At Diane’s summer family reunion, beyond better physiques and more positive attitudes, the ‘Big Reveal’ was that Edward and Diane had committed their lives to Jesus Christ and to each other. The wedding would be in September.

They were an everyday couple, not really picture-perfect, but they decided to get a gym membership together. What they got was a whole lot more.

QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION AND GROUP DISCUSSION

1. If you were looking for a place to exercise and get fit what qualities would you want in a gym or training service? How do those qualities reflect who you are spiritually?

2. What makes it naturally easy for some people to get caught in all the excitement and hype of the fitness culture and then become big fitness advocates to everyone they are around? In what ways have you seen others do that with their faith in Jesus Christ?

3. What personal choices do you feel you’re avoiding or postponing? How will life be different when you choose to move forward? What role do you believe God can play in this?

This article originally appears in the June/July 2015 issue of Faith & Fitness Magazine. Read more of that issue to examine how you can become more confident in the faith you believe to the extent that you’ll want to consistently share it with others.

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GYMNOS – Fitness Scenarios for Self-Examination

Gymnos is the Greek origin of our modern-day word Gym. It means “naked.” GYMNOS articles in Faith & Fitness Magazine are designed to help you challenge your thinking. In the literal sense, when you are naked in the locker room there is nothing to hide. That makes most people uncomfortable. Use this scenario to get naked spiritually—be honest, transparent, undisguised and willing to be totally open with yourself and others.

There’s something special about the gym, or whatever you may call the place where you exercise, that seems to be missing from other places and other areas of life: progress. At the gym, there is a great sense of progress that is easily experienced and quite literally visible. Think about it…all kinds of people working toward a personal goal – improved health. In one place, at one time, you can find so many people making progress in their personal lives and achieving great things in their physical health.

In fact, it’s that feeling of progress that attracts so many of us to local clubs. We enjoy the feeling of accomplishing “something”, even if that “something” is very small. This is an honorable thing, and I think it’s something we should be very proud of. That progress creates a shared emotion, which also seems to be universal in fitness clubs…the rush. There is nothing like the rush! I know that when I’m getting ready to attempt a heavy lift, I feel this rush that propels me forward. It’s like confidence, excitement, anticipation, and adrenaline all wrapped up into one nicely bundled package! Others get this experience when they’re closing in on the fastest mile they have ever run; others when they see that finish line, so they pedal harder to finish strong; and sometimes it comes when we look at the clock and see that there is only 5 minutes left in our boot camp class which gives the motivation to persevere! I’m not sure what it is, but something about the rush leaves me incredibly satisfied.

If you’re like me, then you’ve also noticed that we can feel the rush not just while working out, but by some of the silly things we would never want to admit to. In all honesty, can we admit that sometimes the rush we’re looking for isn’t one that comes from a great workout? You know what I mean…there’s Dominic at the gym. Every time he works out his biceps (which seems to be every day) he “happens” to be wearing a sleeveless shirt and has positioned himself directly in front of the mirror. The times that he wears a regular t-shirt, his sleeves mysteriously end up being tucked neatly just above his biceps. The rush Dominic seeks for is one that must come from seeing whether or not he can make his arms explode. But he’s no different than Kate. She works out incredibly hard and has a wardrobe, or lack thereof, to show everyone how fit she is. To some, Kattie seems to wander every corner of the gym and strut her stuff so that others will take notice. To her credit, she’s in great shape. The problem is that she is trying to get her rush by receiving the praises of all the guys and girls in the club since her husband isn’t giving her the attention she needs.

Now both of these situations can stem from deep-rooted insecurities, and we would never want to admit to it, but we all have our insecurities that can cause us to search for the rush in the weirdest of ways.

*All characters in this scenario are fictional. Any similarity to an actual person is coincidental.

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