Joy

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

Reading: Romans 15:5-13

My grandfather was one of the greatest men I’ve ever known. Raised along the banks of the Mississippi River near Hannibal, Missouri, my grandfather grew up learning how to live off the land. He also grew up learning everything he had was a gift from God. When I would take my childhood summer trips to their ranch in Blanco, he would share those learnings with me. What’s crazy is that some of those memories were locked away in my brain for close to 30 years. While I always recalled shooting guns, catching fish, and cooking what we killed, the memories of my grandfather teaching me about God were stifled. Perhaps 39 years of living for the world forced them into a corner of my brain I couldn’t reach. Then one day, about five years into my faith journey, the dam opened, and the memories came flooding back. I could see us sitting on the back porch eating a freshly picked peach. As we tossed the pits onto the compost pile, I asked him, “Grandpa, why are you so happy all the time?” He looked down and smiled and said, “Trey, the joy of the Lord is my strength.”

The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

It would be another 35 years before I really knew what he meant. Oh, I knew what joy was. Joy was this feeling or emotion of good pleasure. When I would score a touchdown, I would feel joy. When I got accepted to SMU, I was overjoyed. But no matter the accolade, reward, or result, I could never hold onto the feeling. It was like joy came and went in my life. Sometimes it felt absent altogether. When my mom lost her battle with ovarian cancer, I felt an extended absence of joy that carried me into compulsive eating and depression. When I did finally recover, it was back to what I call the “joy cycle.” Joy could be here today but gone tomorrow.

The problem wasn’t my ability to experience joy, it was the source I was seeking it from. My grandfather wasn’t sourcing joy from people, places, or experiences, he was sourcing it from God. And godly joy is built different. Avery Rimiller defines godly joy as, “A feeling of good pleasure that is dependent on who Jesus is rather than on who we are or what is happening around us.” Which is the kind of joy my grandfather needed. He was confined to a wheelchair by a debilitating stroke he suffered leaving him partially paralyzed with limited use of his hands. Let’s be honest, that’s not exactly being set up for life. But somehow it never fazed him, or if it did, he handled it well. He knew that the secret to living a rich and full life was to find joy in the Lord.

And the beautiful thing is God freely gives it to us! There’s joy in the Lord for us to enjoy all the days of our life. Joy comes from God’s Spirit, from abiding in God’s presence, and from hope in His word. When you become a follower of Jesus, you’re given the gift of God’s Spirit, who begins to teach you and lead you to become like Jesus. The result of this journey is the production of tangible fruit in your life, like the capacity to have joy no matter the circumstances. As your spiritual fitness grows, so does your godly joy, which will carry you through your toughest days. Godly joy improves your resiliency in life. No shoes, no car, no job, no vacation, no WOD, no PR can sustain your joy. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength.

Questions for Reflection:

How would you describe godly joy to someone?

When do you experience the greatest joy in life?

Face to Face

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

Reading: James 5:13-20

In the Spring of 2020, I experienced something in my fitness journey I never had before – this little thing called COVID-19. No matter which side of the aisle you sit on in regard to what soon followed, we all experienced state mandated shutdowns of businesses, including gyms. What a strange thing to wake up in the morning and not be able to go to the gym. And while I did get more sleep than normal, I also began to get irritable. Fortunately, our coach let us check out fitness equipment and book private training sessions. But not everyone took advantage of those opportunities. Even though we were only shut down for eight weeks, there were days when it felt like eight years. I remember standing at the bay door greeting athletes at the first class I coached when we were allowed to reopen. There was this wave of both awkwardness and relief as people walked in. No matter how many “Zoom Happy Hours” we all had, there’s just no substitute for the power of face to face.

This is the whole reason community fitness gyms, like CrossFit, are so successful. Think about it. The two most distinct things found in any community fitness gym and are the coaches and the community. The equipment is all the same. The rigs are all from Rogue. The wallball targets are all the same height. Distinction is found in community, the gathering of coaches and athletes. And the community is even more distinct by class. The early morning classes are loaded with Type A’s who are no nonsense go getters. The mid-day classes are full of wealthy people with “flexible work schedules.” And the evening classes don’t even get me started. Talk about the train falling off the track. I’m kidding of course, but it’s true that each class is distinct. While classes may be distinct, there are all the same in that they gather face to face.

So many amazing things happen in the gym when we workout together. There is value simply being in the presence of others. See if some of these things have happened to you. First, there’s the opportunity to encourage and to be encouraged. I love the sounds of encouragement as they make their way throughout the gym. We also get to develop the ability to endure difficult things. As we see others suffering, it comforts us while we suffer. And finally, being face to face creates unity. That’s how teams are formed. We unify with others as we build fitness together.

These same opportunities also exist in our spiritual lives. Not just through the value of presence, but through the power of prayer. I’ll be honest, I still get nervous sometimes when I’m going to pray out loud for someone else. Maybe it’s because I’ve only been on this faith journey nine years. Or maybe it’s because I don’t want to be judged if my prayer is lousy. Whatever the cause, I find myself occasionally anxious even now when I pray face to face. So, if you too find yourself a little nervous or stuck, let me share some Scripture with you for each opportunity:

Encourage – And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

Endure – We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-5

Unify - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

When in doubt of what to pray, start with one of these Bible verses. Allow yourself to be used by the Holy Spirit to reach those in need. Remember, it’s not about what you say, it’s about who you point them to. Point people to Jesus for encouragement, endurance, and unity. In our spiritual lives, God will call us to pray for many people in many ways. Challenge yourself to cast your anxiety aside and pray with them face to face.

Questions for Reflection:

Can you recall someone in your life who prayed for you face to face? What was that like?

Of the three opportunities offered for face-to-face prayer (encourage, endure, or unify), which do you find yourself gravitating to?

Asking for a Friend

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

Reading: Philippians 1:3-11

As a coach, I get a lot of questions. They range from the simple like, “Where are the wallballs,” to the more complex like, “How much weight should I use today?” I love questions. Questions let me know athletes are processing information and trying to get the most from their workouts. But every now and then, right after I’ve fully explained the WOD and demonstrated the movements and walked through appropriate modifications, I’ll hear this – “What are we doing again?” In that moment, I pause to take a deep breath and do my best to stay calm as I respond, “I’m sure you’re asking for a friend.”

Asking for a friend. It’s become this cheeky little saying in our culture. I’m not sure where this originated, but I’m guessing it emerged from a generation or two younger than me. When we “ask for a friend,” we’re typically trying to disguise a question that if we asked would make us look foolish or feel embarrassed. Asking what we’re doing in a workout after I’ve just explained it is probably going to let me know you weren’t listening. But there are times in the gym to ask for a friend. For example, if one of your fellow athletes is new and anxious to ask a question themselves, you should ask for a friend. If someone is unsure of what they’re doing, by all means ask for a friend. And if they’ve voiced a concern to you that you can’t answer, don’t sit there trying to figure out what to do. Ask for a friend.

In our spiritual life, there are times we should ask God for a friend – that is, to offer prayers for someone else. Prayer is our way of communicating with God. Just like we talk with our friends and loved ones, we talk with God the same way, but through prayer. And of the many things we can pray to God about, none may be as life changing as praying for other people. This is known as intercessory prayer. When we intercede, we are coming forth on behalf of someone else. You could do that by praying for someone you just met, asking for prayer requests in small group, or taking mental note of something that came up in conversation with a friend or loved one.

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Sometimes those prayers may be needs, other times they may be praises. The community of Jesus followers grows collectively when we pray for others. And while we pray for others, we must remember that ultimately, we want God’s will to be done. If your friend doesn’t get the new job, it’s not because you prayed wrong. But know that your prayers for others matters. James writes, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). God wants a deeper relationship with you. He wants you to know how loved and valuable you are in this world. As you grow in your relationship with Him, you’ll recognize the value of helping others grow by praying for them. So, the next time you talk to God, start your prayer like this – “God, I’m asking for a friend.”

Questions for Reflection:

If God asked you to pray for someone, what do you think He would ask you to pray for?

What do your requests to God reveal about your priorities, goals, desires, and heart?