Swimsuit season is in full swing. It’s also the time of year when we are working out to look good in those swimsuits. It’s never too late to get in shape. If we still have breath in our lungs, then is time to make a healthy choice.
Recently, I decided to make a healthy choice for myself and our family.
I decided to try Crossfit.
The first day I tried it, I wanted my husband to turn his truck around three times on the 10 minutes drive to the box. See, in Crossfit, where we work out is called a box, not a gym.
This first day in the box scared me. See, if you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you’ve heard about my multiple surgeries, learning to walk again, and host of other medical issues which should count me out of the Crossfit game.
Instead, my husband encouraged me to try it because he loved it and thought it could be something we could do together. Our kids even come to the gym with us sometimes.
So how did Crossfit make me a better Christian? It did so in the following ways:
Humility: The moment I think I’m making progress in an element of Crossfit, my coach changes it up or encourages me to do it faster or slower with more weight.
My pride falls to the floor in the same way my sweat falls off my forehead in large droplets to stain the floor of the box. Every workout in Crossfit is humbling.
God calls us to be humble. In Luke 14:11 (NLT) it states, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I struggle with pride. When God calls me to do an act of service, I’m ashamed to admit that I think sometimes it’s beneath me.
But I’m reminded that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. The lowest job of the servants of the house during the time Jesus walked the earth. (See John 13:1-17)
Patience: There are no shortcuts in Crossfit. Every ounce of progress is earned. This progress must be earned with patience. When I lift too much weight or go too hard, I get hurt. Yes, to make progress there will be pain, but it should be short-lived.
It’s in the patience where we make progress.
It’s in the patience where we make progress. Share on XIn Ecclesiastes 7:8, it says, (GNT) “The end of something is better than its beginning. Patience is better than pride.”
God teaches us every day about patience. It could be in traffic where someone cuts us off, or in the nagging of something we should have done, or in a complicated relationship. We develop patience by going through difficult times.
Confidence: In Crossfit, there is nothing better than surviving a workout I thought I couldn’t do. Long-term Crossfitters call it going to your dark place. It’s digging into a part of myself that I didn’t know I had in me. It’s about finding the strength to finish a workout when I want to give up.
I’m telling myself, “Write a Did Not Finish up on the whiteboard instead of my time, it’s not happening today.” Instead, I pressed on until the buzzer rings or the last round is wiped off the whiteboard to determine completion. This confidence gives me the strength to move forward in the challenges God has placed in my path.
In 1 John 5:14, (NLT), it says, “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.”
We need to approach God with confidence. He doesn’t want us wringing our hands and hoping He hears our requests. Boldly approach Him and watch what He does in your life.
Is there an activity that shows you how to be a better Christian? Share it in the comments below to help others.