Perfect Power

Spiritual Training Cycle: Presence (wk. 10/13)

Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Weakness. Not exactly the buzzword athletes love to throw around, but the truth is we all have them. From biomechanical weaknesses to muscular weaknesses to agility and coordination weaknesses, there’s plenty of weakness to go around. Sometimes our weakness is hitting the snooze button too many times! And by the way, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with weakness. In our gym we like to say, “We’re all working on something.” In other words, we’ve all got things we want to get better at. But to really grow sometimes you must get to the core of your weakness and the best way to do that is failure. Failure can be the catalyst to developing perfect power.

Maximum lifts and benchmark WOD’s aside, let’s step outside the gym for the rest of this article and look at the concept of weakness from a broader perspective. Because if you think it’s hard to admit a weakness in the gym, I’d argue it’s even harder outside the gym. Some of you know because the last job you interviewed for included the question, “What would you say is your biggest weakness?” And if that was you, no doubt you tried to spin your weakness into a strength. At least that’s what your recruiter told you to do. And this is where we see a big struggle with weakness – culture says to de-emphasize it. Think about it. There are best selling books, on-line testing platforms, and entire companies dedicated to helping you discover and develop your strengths.

Because failure is not really an option. At least not on social media. When people say someone’s Instagram story is their highlight reel, they’re right. You have no idea how many “takes” it took to get what they wanted to show the world. And if someone does chronicle their failed family photo or whatever it is, the comments are often the equivalent of the southern phrase, “bless their heart.” People are failing at life caught in the tension of being weak but not knowing what to do with it. Your weaknesses in life often reveal where you need God the most.

Your weaknesses in life often reveal where you need God the most.

Because God provides perfect power. He’s the source you need not to cover up your weakness, but to comfort you in it. When you blow it as a parent, God doesn’t make it go away. Rather, He loves you through your brokenness. He invites you into a place of vulnerability, to be honest with your kids about who you are and where you’re weak. You’re reminded of the forgiveness He’s given you as you receive forgiveness from your loved ones. His power is made perfect in your weakness.

So don’t be ashamed to be weak. You develop humility every time you tell the world you can’t do it all. Don’t fear failure. Your breakdowns create space for God’s breakthroughs. And failure can be the catalyst for revealing God’s perfect power.

Questions for Reflection:

Do you ever feel caught in the tension of being weak but not knowing what to do about it?

How does failure shape humility in your life?

Active Recovery

Spiritual Training Cycle: Presence (wk. 9/13)

Reading: Psalm 27:1-14

The journey of fitness is full of peaks and valleys. When you’re new to fitness, it probably feels more like all valleys. The doses of soreness as muscles begin to awaken. The rhythm of creating space for consistent workouts while still maintaining everything on your schedule. The mornings when you’re caught with your finger hovering over the snooze button trying to remind yourself it’s worth it. Because it’s worth it! Then things change. New muscle growth, new stamina, new strength, suddenly you’re on a fitness peak. But to maintain those peaks, rest becomes critical. And not just inactivity. As you grow as an athlete, you realize you need training days where movement is high, but intensity is low. To get the most out of fitness you must learn to use active recovery.

Active recovery is a gift to all athletes. Simply put, active recovery is activity you use to recover from intensity. The movements are low in impact but high in effectiveness. I first discovered the value of active recovery workouts in endurance sports, specifically training for Ironman. There were some Saturdays where my coach would program a 5-7 hour bike ride with hill repeats and other intervals built in. Man, my legs would be cooked after a big session like that. While I expected the next day off, coach had different plans. He had me back on the bike doing a one-hour easy spin around the neighborhood. That’s active recovery. It gave me a chance to flush a little bit of the soreness out of the legs, tune up the brain by giving it something easy to do, and keep my body moving. Active recovery is not just good for your body, it’s also good for your soul.

Active recovery is not just good for your body, it’s also good for your soul.

This month we’ve been studying the spiritual exercise of stillness. We define stillness as a quiet body, a slow mind, an open spirit, and a focus on God. Stillness is the absence of movement. This spiritual exercise has been used for thousands of years to create space to connect with God. Think of stillness as a spiritual pause button in your life. Sometimes after a really hard day or difficult week you need a different kind of stillness. You need a little spiritual active recovery.

For example, let’s say you had a tough week at work. You had some big meetings with extra travel dealing with some really difficult clients. On top of all that, you had a hard conversation with someone very close to you. The conversation turned personal, and it opened up some old wounds from the past. Come Saturday, it might feel like all you want to do is binge a new series on Hulu and be a statue on the couch. These are what I call the waiting moments. You’re waiting to see if the clients are going with you instead of the competition. You’re waiting to see if that tough conversation bears fruit. And to be honest, you’re probably waiting to see if you’re going to feel better. That’s the perfect time for some active spiritual recovery!

You could take a few minutes and listen to your favorite worship song or discover a new one. You could write a quick text to encourage a friend God put on your heart. You could read a few verses in the Bible or catch the verse of the day on your Bible App. These are the moments where we learn while waiting. See, your presence in life is essential to your progress in life. Including your moments of waiting. So don’t waste them. Don’t waste them believing God doesn’t care about you because He does. Don’t waste them worrying about work, God’s got you. Don’t waste them being bitter or resentful, God designed you for more. Don’t waste the waiting. God is working, even when you can’t see it. Maybe what you need is some spiritual active recovery.

Questions for Reflection:

Have you ever wasted a moment waiting on something or someone?

What does it look like to actively wait for God?

Rest

Spiritual Training Cycle: Presence (wk. 8/13)

Reading: Psalm 62:1-8

Tabata. I remember the first time I heard that word. I was like, “huh?” Tabata is an interval workout designed by, you guessed it, Dr. Izumi Tabata. Well, you probably didn’t guess the whole Izumi thing, but now you know. Dr. Tabata did research that showed short bursts of high intensity work followed by brief recovery delivered some serious fitness. And all in about four minutes. As this style of interval became popular so did a number of Tabata timers in app stores across mobile devices. Being the tip of the spear guy I am, I quickly downloaded a Tabata timer app and prepared to get after it. The timer came with a voice prompt and the first word I heard was, “work.” So, I did. For only 20 seconds. But what a brutal 20 seconds it was. As the lactic acid accumulated and the oxygen thinned, I waited for what seemed an eternity. Then the timer spoke to me again with another word, “rest.”

The holidays may feel like the worst time of the year to implement some rest. Like starting a clean eating program on Thanksgiving. The holidays bring a myriad of new load to the table such as travel, family gatherings, parties, gifts to purchase, travel again, home decorating, more family gatherings, tree purchasing, one more party, last minute gifts, and the load goes on. But in reality now is the absolute best time to find some new ways to rest. Because quality rest leads to quality restoration.

I’m not talking about sleep and I’m not really talking about naps. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of both. I’m talking about micro-rest, short moments of stillness that can be interspersed throughout your day. Think about those intervals you do in the gym or at home. Maybe you go hard for a minute, then take 30 seconds off. During the rest, your heart rate begins to come down, you mentally prepare for another round, which allows you to attack the next effort with more intensity. Micro-rest helps you get more work out of the workout!

That’s why we need rest this season – we need stillness. We define stillness as a quiet body, a slow mind, an open spirit, and a focus on God. Stillness is the absence of movement. This spiritual exercise has been used for thousands of years to create space to connect with God. Think of each day like its own interval workout. If you want to get the most out of your day, use moments of stillness to rest in God. Some of you need to read a few Bible verses before the in-laws arrive. Others of you need to pray to give your kids grace when they burn the rolls while trying to be helpful. And all of us need some micro-rest in God to remember the good things He’s done in our lives and to be filled with thanksgiving.

Spiritual rest leads to spiritual restoration.

Spiritual rest leads to spiritual restoration. You’ll find it in the still moments with God. I encourage you to savor all the joy this season has to offer. Even though your daily intervals may feel like more than you can handle, with stillness you’ll find the work is worth it. Let your soul find rest in God and let your hope come from Him.

Questions for Reflection:

What stresses you out most during the holidays?

How does resting in God change the feel of that stress?