You Might Be the Fittest Person in the Room, but you Still need God

 

For most of my adult life, I have engaged in some form of exercise mainly for recreational enjoyment, emotional health, and the competitive comradery it offers. I think I enjoy it more as a middle-aged man than a young man—probably because I wasted several years in a lifestyle of drugs and partying as a teenager.

For the past few years, I have become fond of CrossFit. I love the supportive community it offers, never ending challenging workouts and the many functional movements that consistently test your fitness level. It is a fun, addictive way to get in shape 3-5 times a week while at the same time improving the version of you.

I enjoy tracking the progress of my fitness level with now being able to do certain movements like Olympic lifting (a clean or snatch) with increase in weights or doing strict pull ups or gymnastics like toes to bar. I have had and still have moments of frustration with being incompetent in several skills, but it is a process to struggle as you grow.

This has motivated me to put in additional work to improve and to become a better master's athlete.

I see myself being a crossfitter for the next several years to come because it is an important part of my life and helps improve the quality of my life.

I have thought often about the goals I have for my CrossFit journey and there are many but I am also very mindful of the future beyond CrossFit--what happens when CrossFit ends? What's next? What's the endgame?

Everyone alive will eventually hit a point when fitness will cease. The body and mind will eventually not be as functional. Health will not always be able to thrive. And the years of life will terminate. Every day we inch our way towards that destination.

I'm reminded about the potent question Jesus raised to his hearers and disciples when he asked them:

"What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Mark 8:36

His question brings up a few points to consider:

Firstly, man is not just a physical being for he is also spirit or soul; Man is made up of two parts: Physical and Spirit (dichotomy).

Secondly, it points to the reality that there is something far more important than man's physical well-being. The body dies in this life but the soul lives on for eternity.

Thirdly, being more concerned in this life with money, pleasure, prestige, fame, or power, more than God, then your soul will be affected for eternity. Jesus is emphasizing the investment is not worth the return. 

Fourthly, It is possible to experience success in this life without a relationship with God.  God has allowed men to experience common grace in this life. He does not force men to follow him like robots. He does elect men to salvation but he also calls all men/women to make a decision to follow him.  

Fifthly, God is concerned not just about your physical body but your whole being. I believe it speaks of his deep desire for a relationship with you. 

His point is to get the hearer to consider what is at stake. A life full of accomplishments without him is an eternality of failure. He does not want anyone to perish in outer darkness or hell.

He has made a way for man to come into relationship with him. Those that embrace the gospel or good news.

The message is Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect sinless life, died on the cross as a sacrifice for man's sin, was buried and rose on the third day from the grave to show he had defeated death and show his work was accomplished and satisfied God.  

I pray and hope that you will consider the question Jesus raised and invest not only in your body for this life but your soul for eternity.

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” Jesus 

To learn how to become a christian check out this video below: 

For further reading on this topic click here