The alarm rang this morning, and I knew I was to get up and get my daily workout started. This morning was day 67 of my P90X routine and for the last ten days I have been doing doubles. I was not so much exhausted physically as much as I was mentally. Something in me just battled getting up and getting the workout started, and my inner voice was compelling me with some great excuses to not workout. I had just finished telling a youth the day before how working out has become a lifestyle for me, and that I am excited to workout everyday. The irony of staking claim to victory, and shortly thereafter punching my way through apathy and laziness.
Eventually I got up and got to finishing my workout, and it was worth it! My point of writing this morning has more to do with our relationship with Christ versus the physical workout, but the physical sure makes a great illustration for the spiritual. How often do we claim to other believers that we are doing well with our Bible reading, prayer, and walk with Jesus, only to know internally we are struggling, missing out time with God, and blowing it in areas of character that mean the most. The Bible tells us that we do not battle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of wickedness (Eph. 6:12), yet we can often take our daily Christian disciplines so lightly that if we miss or start a pattern of apathy, we easily shrug it off.
I often tell people that participate in fad-like diets that help you lose weight quickly are not only depressing, but harmful to your well-being. You lose weight fast, people start noticing, you are getting excited… then you hit the plateau! You are losing less and less, you are not as excited, so you let down your guard and gain it all back again. Diet without regular exercise is frustrating and half-hearted, as is Bible reading without quality prayer time, as well as Christian service without discipleship. When we ignore basic Christian disciplines that are meant to be implemented daily, we lose steam and start a downward spiral of spiritual losses that eventually get us frustrated, tired, and burned out.
The Bible tells us to not grow weary while doing good, but that we will reap the rewards if we do not give up (Gal. 6:9). All too often we give up to easily, cutting ourselves short of spiritual victory that is just around the corner if we would simply press in even when it hurts. I preached on the Parable of the Sowers last week, and the truth in this parable rings true today. There are those who will never respond to God's gift of salvation, the seed that hits the road. There are those who respond to God so quickly, but they never become accountable to other believers, they lack discipleship, and eventually when the trials of life come they fall away, the rocky soil. Further there are those who enjoy Christianity for the benefits socially and spiritually, but they enjoy the desires of the secular world too much to give there entire being to God and get choked out of relationship with God… the weeds. Finally there are those who respond to the call of God and they ask questions, they desire discipleship, they press in daily to the basic disciplines, and though trials come they are prepared. They may fall but they get themselves up and keep pressing forward… the good soil.
Christianity is a lifestyle that the world is hard-pressed to really find. Most of American Christianity is characterized by small bits of implementation, nominal Christianity. To live a lifestyle of Christianity is difficult! Whoever told you that coming to Christ is like forever walking in a field of your favorite flowers simply lied to you. Christianity is difficult, but true! Each day you live for Christ, make it a full day of surrender, not worrying if you can pull off the same zeal the next day… just living today in fullness creates an atmosphere for tomorrow. Keep running the race.
