May 2010

Gym Rat

I enjoy the gym. Crazy as it may seem, working out is more a hobby to me than drudgery! I am glad for this mindset and hope that it remains for a long time. To be honest, I get kind of grumpy if I am not exercising.  
It wasn’t too long ago that I was doing my morning routine at the gym, and there was this guy there. He was running laps, lifting weights, and sweating hard. I finished up my workout and was walking out when I noticed the same guy who had just spent the last 45 minutes of his life trying to improve his health, heading back into the club with a cigarette in his mouth. Something just didn’t seem right with the picture.
 
Understand I am not trying to be critical of him. I realize we all have issues that entangle us as we try to live healthy lives. All I need is to be exposed to homemade ice cream and my gym time becomes a waste. As I drove away that day, I couldn’t help but think of the Apostle Paul’s words to Timothy when he said, “Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.” (1Timothy 4:8)
 
Taking care of your physical body is important—there is no denying that. But even as we take care of this physical body, the reality is things shift and change!   What good is it if I build a temporary temple, and neglect the spiritual one? As that Scripture says, when you build spiritually you aren’t only helping your future, you are helping your now! You are becoming stronger, more flexible, and have greater endurance to become the person God designed you to be. So take care of yourself, but prefer godliness over all things, because godliness will last.

Confessions

I have a confession to make. I broke the law last night. I don’t know why I did it.  I guess it was carelessness on my part. Really, I think the speed limit should be raised to accommodate those of us that, shall we say, are partial to the need for speed! Anyway, I was caught, the red and blue flicked on, and so did my turn signal. There was an eerie silence in the car. I knew all eyes were on me. My wife and two boys were wondering how dad was going to respond. Was I going to try to weasel my way out of the situation? You know…make up some lame excuse as to why I was speeding. 
 
For a long time now, I have figured that if the lights are flashing behind me, for me, it would be because I messed up. So as I tell my boys all the time, “If you mess up, fess up!” There is nothing like coming clean with your guilt. I was convinced that I was going to receive a ticket, and it wasn’t going to be a little one either. It would have filled a couple potholes in the county.
 
The officer returned to my vehicle. She gave me my license back, and then proceeded to hand me a yellow ticket. My mouth went dry, and tears started to well up. Not really, but I heard that works??? The words that were spoken still encourage me this morning. I received a warning. I deserved a ticket. I should be down paying a fine today, but instead I was “forgiven.”
 
Two lessons were reinforced to me from my road-side experience. First, when you fail or fall short, come clean. Life is easier to live if you aren’t trying to live by excuses. Second, when you receive grace instead of what you deserve, it should change who you are! Over and over you see these principles played out in the pages of Scripture, and may they be played out in our lives as well.