The Whiteboard

Reading: Galatians 6:1-10

Central to every CrossFit gym I’ve ever been in is this nonchalant white rectangle hanging on the wall known as the whiteboard. Whether digital or old school, the whiteboard is the repository for the work of the day. Even though we publish our workouts the night before, there are some athletes who know better than to look, lest they began making excuses for why they shouldn’t come the next day. Instead, like gifts under a tree, they walk in and make a beeline to the whiteboard. Now as a coach, I’ve seen a variety of responses. It runs the gamut from elation to full on depression. My favorite response though is the athlete who quickly scans the whiteboard and remarks, “That doesn’t look too bad.” Nine times out of ten, when we least expect it, the work surprises us the most.

When it comes to physical fitness, work is the path to growth. So, the whiteboard becomes a significant piece of equipment in the gym. It’s hilarious because it’s simultaneously the most benign tool yet also the most dangerous. With one dry erase marker a coach can knock an entire class to their knees. Yet in the same moment, she can write an inspiring quote just above the WOD. Do you see the dichotomy? Here’s this inanimate object with the capacity to make you laugh or cry or both. And while your emotions are stirring, the work isn’t changing. The work doesn’t change until it changes you. Go back and read that one more time. Post it to your feed. Once you begin to experience results from the pursuit of fitness, you grow to embrace the work, and you grow to love the whiteboard.

When it comes to spiritual fitness, work is also the path to growth, or shalom as I like to think of it. Your pursuit of a rich and flourishing life will not happen without effort. And for that, you need a whiteboard as well, containing a plan for today’s work. That’s one way the Bible functions in the lives of those pursuing spiritual fitness. It's the repository for the work we complete in pursuit of shalom. Just like the whiteboard, it stirs up a number of emotions as well. Take for instance when the disciples ask Jesus how many times they should forgive someone who offends them. Jesus’ reply? Seventy times seven. That’s right, 490 times. Some of you reading this are thinking God doesn’t really know the heart of the person who hurt you, because if He did, He would give you a pass. But the truth is the work of forgiveness isn’t for them, it’s for you. While you’re angry or frustrated at the call to forgive, it’s not changing. The work of spiritual growth doesn’t change until it changes you. When bitterness or resentment or materialism or selfishness are no longer one of your top five strengths, you’ll begin to embrace the path to shalom because you realize just how God is refining you through the process.

As you read today’s Scripture, I want you to see the Author is laying out some work for you, a spiritual WOD if you will. In fact, I’m going to post it below so you can see how it correlates with the reading. The way I see it, you’ve got two choices in life – you can either try to figure it out on your own or you can trust it to God. The Good News is He’s got a path laid out for you, and today’s work is waiting on your Spiritual Whiteboard.

Galatians 6:1-10 (For Quality)

· Restore others with gentleness

· Bear other’s burdens

· Stay humble

· Compare yourself with yourself

· Bless those who teach you

· Sow only what you really want to reap

· Don’t do your work selfishly

· Work in the Spirit of God

· Keep going, even on days when you don’t feel like it (Don’t Quit!)

Questions for Reflection:

Of the nine movements in Paul’s Spiritual WOD, which one do you struggle with the most?

Reflect on a time when you thought something was going to be easy, but it actually required a ton of effort.

Weight Belts

Reading: Ephesians 6:10-17

I began my weightlifting journey freshman year of high school. I remember walking into the field house like it was yesterday. The clanging of the iron, the grunting and groaning of young men, and the accessory equipment hanging along the walls. Not too long into our off-season training, we had to perform a one rep max back squat, and we got to watch the varsity team go first. They were so huge! Well, at least they were to me as a freshman. Some of those guys were squatting well over 300 pounds which was so impressive. I remember when our starting middle linebacker got up to squat. He went on to play at the Air Force Academy, and this guy was all muscle. As he stepped into the squat rack, I saw him motion to one of his teammates. A few moments later I witnessed two things for the first time – A 350 pound back squat and someone wearing a weight belt.

If you’ve never worn a weight belt before, let me try and dispel some of the myths out there. First, a weight belt is not designed to compensate for a lack of core strength. Some people think the use of a belt is to make up for a lack of strength when in fact it’s quite the opposite. Others think the belt functions like a brace to support your torso when it really doesn’t. The function of a weight belt is to help increase the use of your abs and lower-back muscles. It reduces stress on the spine, it creates better biomechanics, which ultimately means better performance. The belt doesn’t hide weakness, it helps you achieve maximum power. On my heavy training days when I’m squatting or deadlifting, you’ll find me in a weight belt for sure.

In today’s reading, you’re going to read about another kind of belt. A belt God gives us to find direction and purpose in life. It’s the belt of truth. Truth is such an interesting topic in our society because it means different things to different people. In fact, I would argue most of you are quite comfortable being around people who think totally different things than you do. Part of how we build community is to set aside differences and look for common ground. And as we meet new people and learn new ways of living, we’ll take in new truth in exchange for the old.

In our society, truth is not so absolute. The truth is not denied, but rather we recognize it as incomplete. People know they don’t know everything. The explosion of technology and resources on topics is too vast for all but the serious scholars to dive in deep. We acknowledge that we don’t know, we seek to know, and so over time more truth is revealed to us. Of course, the downside being that the next internet article or Wikipedia entry could incorrectly reshape our worldview. That’s why God’s belt of truth is so critical.

Just like the weight belt in the gym, God’s belt of truth is not about concealing a core weakness. Rather, it’s about learning how to maximize performance in our everyday lives. Until you know the truth about who God is and who He says you are, you're not getting the most out of life. You may think you are, but you’re really not. God reveals His truth to us through His Word, through the world at large, and through those around you who are on the same journey. If you want to live a deep, rich, and fully flourishing life, put on the belt of God’s truth, and get ready to see life in a whole new way.

Questions for Reflection:

Have you ever thought you were right about something and defended your position strongly only to discover you were actually wrong?

When you learn something new that changes your beliefs, how difficult is it to let go of the old belief?

Core To Extremity

Reading: 2 Timothy 3:1-17

Strength is powerful. From Popeye to Superman and beyond, we’ve come to associate strength with power. Whether to leap tall buildings or rescue those in need, strength is where it’s at. But what’s the origin of strength? For Superman, it was his home planet of Krypton. For Popeye it was his can of spinach. And for us, the origin of physical strength is our core. Some people toss around the word “core” like it’s an accessory movement you do at the end of a workout. But spend enough time training and you’ll realize that the core of the human body is essential to every functional movement it will perform. The core is the foundation upon which all movement will be built. In our gym, we call this core to extremity.

While I don’t think it’s necessary to exhaustively list every muscle that makes up the core, let me say that I’m not just talking about abs. Think of the core as the torso. It’s the essential base of the body. Your limbs, your neck, your head, all of the rest of your body is an extension of your core. Which is why it’s vital that our core be strong. But punching you in the gut or having you do some crunches or back extensions won’t reveal your core strength. In order to really see core strength, hold an object as far away from your body as you can and try to move it. Whether that’s flutter kicks or overhead squats, stronger athletes will do more reps or move more weight because their core supports their extremity. The extremity of your physical performance cannot be realized without the sufficiency of your core strength. In other words, the foundation matters.

Core to extremity is also applicable in spiritual fitness. Think of extremity as life happening to you and around you. Your job, your relationships, your family, rush hour traffic, school, bills, you name it. People miss the opportunity to develop their spiritual core when they primarily focus on the world around them. They get caught up in the pursuit of happiness and accomplishment, or they end up trying to control everything around them. But life has this amazing way of bringing new and unexpected things to us all the time. A strong spiritual core gives you the resiliency not just to handle life, but to embrace it. There’s a difference. Handling life feels like you’ve got just enough energy to juggle everything on your plate, but one more thing and it will all collapse. Handling life feels overwhelming. Embracing life feels energizing. And no self-help book or podcast alone will get you there. In the same way you build physical core strength, you must devote time daily to the development of your spiritual core strength.

I find that sometimes the best way to build my spiritual core is to be still and quiet. Try that for 10 minutes and let me know how hard it can be! In those moments, I want to fully connect to God and be open to how he is using my life experiences to teach me. I want to practice humility, focusing on how I can put others before myself. And I want to slow the rhythm of my life so that I can be present in every moment. The secret to a more fulfilling life really isn’t a secret at all. It flows from the development of a strong spiritual core.

Questions for Reflection:

Describe what you consider to be the core of your spiritual training.

As you grow in your spiritual life, does core work become more important, less important, or have the same importance as when you started?