My right glute doesn’t fire. I care about this because I’m a
triathlete, and running has never been my forte. The glutes (buns, cheeks, rear
end) are supposed to be my major running muscles, my “prime movers”, but mine
don’t really do much back there. This means my quads, hamstrings, and calves do
most of the work to move me down the road, but they’re not really meant for
this job. When I run fast or a lot, they tend to give out, and I end up
injured. I’m fed up with being injured, so this fall I’ve
committed to getting my butt in gear, literally.
At the same time, I’m acutely aware that my spiritual life
is in a holding pattern. It’s rare that I crack open my Bible between Sundays,
and my prayers are short and shallow, offered up in the midst of other
activities. There’s not a lot of two-way conversation going on between me and
God at the moment. There was a time when I had a good habit of meeting with Him
over His Word, and there was exciting fruit from that that I could share with
other people. These days as the Exploring God campaign kicks off here in
Austin, I know I should be sharing what I love about Jesus with those who are
seeking hope and meaning, but I need a refresher on just what it is that I love
about Jesus first.
What to do? I can just buckle down and start telling people
what I know about Christ. God is powerful. He can use me even if I’m not doing
a great job at representing Him. But just like running without using my glutes,
my prime movers, and relying on muscles meant to be helpers to do all the work,
I won’t get far if my Jesus-talk is not backed up with a vibrant relationship
with my Lord. Knowledge of the Bible, trying to do what’s right, pride – all
these can compensate. But love of Christ, coming from an intimate day-to-day
walk with Him, is meant to be my prime spiritual mover.
Before I do much running, I’m going to spend a lot of time
lying on the floor concentrating fully on teaching my brain and glute muscles
to talk to each other so my glutes move when I want them to. Right now just doing this
makes my weak glutes sore, but eventually they will get stronger, and ultimately I will go outside and get them to
move my legs when I run. In the same way, I need to set aside time and energy
outside of Sunday mornings to connect my head with my heart. I need to have frequent,
meaningful conversations with Jesus about Who He is and who I am in Him, about
the things in me that I need Him to clean out so He can use me better, about
the things He’s doing that He’s calling me to be a part of. To fall in love
again. Once I have started to move my spiritual muscles, then I can rely on Him
to move me in my daily activities to take advantage of opportunities to speak
Hope to others. I’m going to flex my spiritual muscles in prayer and study, and
then step out in faith to put that power into practice. I’m not retraining my
glutes just so I can move them at will when I’m hanging around the house by
myself – those buns are meant for running! In the same way, I’m looking forward
to both loving and obeying Jesus, putting my faith into practice to make this
place a little more like Heaven, more His Kingdom, day by day.
Hebrews 12:11-13: For
the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by
it.
Therefore
lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight
paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather
be healed.
1
Corinthians 9:25-27: Every athlete exercises
self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we
an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the
air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching
to others I myself should be disqualified.
Matthew 7:24-25: Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise
person who built a house on solid rock. Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and
winds beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built
on solid rock.
Next blog posts: Ironman Wisconsin reflections, comparison of Hammer HEED vs. Skratch Labs Hydration Mix
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