My relationships with gym memberships has been a nearly constant thing for most of my adult life. During my late teens I never really saw the need for one. I was very active, fit, tall and at times bordered on scrawny. When teased at times with names like "String Bean" or "Pole Bean," I never considered that one day I would really miss being called that! Doing commercials via magazines, newspapers and TV (all local level) and even getting stopped once in Orlando by someone wanting to know if I was interested in modeling runway looks, I never really saw the need for a gym membership. That, however, all changed after the birth of my son. Within a week of my six-week post natal check up I was signing up for a gym membership. I had always lost weight super fast with just slight changes but most of the time could eat anything I wanted, whenever I wanted with no problem. A whole bag of Doritos, washed down with 20 oz of Mountain Dew while watching a movie at night had never been a problem. Now, suddenly, I was faced with the realization that this time it was going to take some work to get off my baby weight. Went to the gym faithfully until one day there I broke my foot. Then not long after that I got pregnant with my daughter. To make a long story short, ever since then I have been a member at one gym or another, and though at times I would really put a lot of effort into it, most of the time I quickly ran out of steam and then I just "showed up." Meaning a nice stroll on the treadmill or a few lunges, not enough to do much of anything, but enough to say I went and make me feel better. Though at times I bemoaned the way I felt and looked, for the most part I became complacent. With excuses like well I just don't have an athletic build or it's in my genes. But recently I was faced with the fact that being healthy and losing weight is more than a membership at a gym! On November 23, 2009, I went to a new doctor who did a complete blood work up on me. A week later the results showed triglycerides over 200, cholesterol at 196, pre-diabetic sugar levels, as well as very low B12 (under 200). Nothing like black and white to get you motivated, especially after my Dad's heart attack in July of 2009. They say numbers don't lie, and mine were yelling at me to make some serious changes! We made arrangements for weekly B12 shots and I found a program where I can keep a detailed food/exercise diary on my phone. My phone is always with me, so no excuses as to why I didn't log something. Started interval training, weight lifting and to throw some fun into it, tried some new things like yoga and pilates. On January 11, 2010, I went back for more blood work. Now keep in mind that that six-week period covered the major "food" holidays! Yesterday I got my results back. My triglycerides are now at 85 (down by over half!), cholesterol is at 161, blood sugars are in the normal range and my B12 is up to 783. As a really nice by-product I'm also down about 15 pounds. I love that, but seeing those numbers typed out really siked me up! Could go on about nutrition tips, work out tips and the like, but that is not my point to this blog. The point is that a gym membership alone did NOT change my health or my weight. It took work, effort, consistency (even when frustrated at not being able to see changes), and determination to change.
How about your relationship with Christ? Is it more than a membership? Does your Christianity consist of saying, "Yes, I'm a member of ___________ church and I show up faithfully!" Christianity was meant to be more than a membership. It is meant to be a relationship with Jesus Christ, with each of us being a part of the body and having an important role to play. I Corinthians 12:12-27 talks about that. Our Christian walk is more than a membership, it is a growth process.
Paul wrote, "I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God." (Ephesians 1:16, 17)
"Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." (Ephesians 4:16)
For we are joined together in his body by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God. (Colossians 2:19)
So how about it? Is it time for you to have a spiritual fitness check-up? (to help you get started on testing your spiritual fitness and growth, read Galatians 5:22-26 and see what the fruits of the Spirit are) Is your walk getting sluggish or stale? Have you gotten complacent about where you are at spiritually? Feeling like it is unattainable or seeing someone that you admire and just thinking, that is them, no matter what I do I won't ever be a Beth Moore, or a Billy Graham, or whoever you admire? Are you going to let your relationship with Jesus just be a membership or are you going to do the real work to grow and learn? It isn't an exclusive thing, it is for EVERYONE. Dig in and discover the benefits of being a healthy, growing Christian!
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