Fuel

Reading: John 6:25-40

My first introduction to Triathlon was in the late 1980’s on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, a Sunday afternoon show which showcased some of the world’s lesser-known sporting events, including Ironman Hawaii. As I watched those athletes navigate ocean currents, lava fields, and all the other challenges Ironman brings, I thought to myself, “One day, I’m going to do an Ironman.” Fast forward to the early 2000’s when I finally decided to make my dream a reality. I wasn’t starting with an Ironman, but I was taking on my first triathlon. As I nervously unloaded my bike and prepared for my inaugural group training ride, I was struck by the various fueling options my fellow athletes used. Names like Gu and Nuun and Powerbar were being thrown around, meanwhile I was taking a Krispy Kreme donut I had saved from the day before and putting it in my cycling jersey to, “warm it up in the oven.” Suffice it to say, when I was the last person to finish the ride, I realized if I wanted different results, I needed different fuel.

When it comes to physical fitness, fuel is critical. The primary body system for this type of fuel is the digestive system, beginning with the mouth and stomach. I’ve been coaching athletes for over a decade, so trust me when I tell you I’ve had more than one conversation about fuel. Here’s what’s so striking about almost all of those conversations – they’re always about supplements. All the coaches reading this are laughing right now because it’s true. Athletes want to talk about things like Amino Acids or Pre-WOD this or Post-WOD that or whatever the newest thing is the professionals are endorsing. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against supplements, but doesn’t their name give them away? They’re supplements, meaning they are supplemental. If they’re supplemental, they must not be the primary fuel source for physical fitness. If you want different results in the gym, start with your primary fuel source, which is food. Amino Acids really weren’t going to help me if my primary fuel was donuts. Crazy I know, but so many people pay such little attention to their daily food intake hoping they can get an edge with something supplemental. Proteins, carbs, and healthy fats are still where it’s at, period. If you want different results, start with your primary fuel source.

The same is true in Spiritual Fitness, only the primary body system for this type of fuel is the soul. What you feed your soul matters. As both a Spiritual Fitness Coach and a Pastor, I have heard story after story of people trying to feed their soul supplements. They’re going to “supplement” by quitting social media. They’re going to “supplement” by thinking only positive thoughts. They’re going to “supplement” through any number of behavioral modifications, thinking somehow this is going to equal different results. And yet it doesn’t. Why? Because if you want different results, you need to start with your primary fuel source. In Spiritual Fitness, the primary fuel source is Jesus. Jesus even refers to Himself as, “The bread of life.” Of course, you don’t consume spiritual fuel with your mouth and stomach, you consume it with your soul. Jesus is the ultimate nourishment for your soul. And the Bible is a great way to build a deeper relationship with Jesus. You can’t “supplement” your way to a healthy soul. If you want to live your best life, you need to start with your primary spiritual fuel source.

I must admit, I felt a little silly on our group training ride when we pulled over to take a fuel break and I pulled the Ziplock bag from my jersey with my donut in it. I could say I should have known better, but honestly it wasn’t until I got around other people who knew about better ways to fuel that the foolishness of my own fuel was revealed. If you want more purpose or fullness or shalom in your life, surround yourself with people who understand how to spiritually fuel their souls. Study what they do and be prepared to make changes in your own life. Donuts weren’t the fuel destined to take me to Ironman. What are you consuming in your life that isn’t destined to take you where God wants you to go?

Questions for Reflection:

What do people fuel their souls with and why?

How has Jesus as your primary spiritual fuel source changed your life?

Resistance

Reading: Romans 6:1-23

Live on this earth long enough, and you’ll encounter resistance. As humanity has grown in their understanding of this basic concept, scientists, physicists, coaches, and even psychologists have sought to harness the power of resistance. Take traffic lights on your normal daily commute. Have you ever noticed the faster you need to get somewhere, like say the gym, the more red lights you deal with? And at every light you begin to imagine the resistance you’ll encounter in the gym as everyone else is already warming up without you? On top of that, some new athlete is in your spot and as if all that weren’t enough, it’s Turkish get-up day! Resistance is a daily part of human existence. Here’s how to use it to live your best life.

In the gym, resistance is everything. We need a force working directly against us in order to develop strength. In fact, in the old days, we didn’t even call it weight training, we called it resistance training. Great coaches know how to combine resistance movements in various rep schemes to allow the body to adapt. Adaptation is when new muscle fibers develop, the respiratory system enhances itself, and new levels of physical fitness are achieved. The greater the load, the greater the adaptation – to a point. In physical fitness, there is a diminishing return at extreme loads. Just think about people who overload the bar on any given day. It’s not just the risk of injury, it’s also that going all out every day doesn’t produce maximum results. That’s why strength programs use techniques such as wave loading. We all have physical limits, and we must understand and respect those.

In our spiritual lives, we have limits as well. While it would be nice to wave our hand like Luke Skywalker and watch the traffic part and all the lights turn green, life just doesn’t work that way. But just like we can use resistance to our advantage in the gym, we can do the same thing in our spiritual lives. We can use resistance to achieve new outcomes. This is precisely what Jesus did. Ask yourself this – what led up to the moment Jesus died on the cross? Resistance. Jesus faced incredible resistance. He faced it from the religious leaders who scoffed at the idea He was the Son of God. Jesus faced it from the crowd who called for a criminal to be set free instead of Him. And he faced it from the Roman government and soldiers who ultimately tortured Him and carried out His crucifixion. Jesus used resistance to achieve a new outcome – restoration. Restoration to God for you and me.

Here’s what’s crazy – so many people in this world resist God’s restoration. They’re fighting the wrong battle, and I know, because for 39 years I resisted it too. Then one day I realized I wasn’t really resisting restoration; I was resisting God’s love. When I fully received God’s love, it changed my life. I still face plenty of red lights and rush hour traffic, but I don’t try to control the situation anymore. In fact, the more I acknowledge how not in control I am, the more I experience the life God always had planned for me. Jesus bears the load, yet we get the result.

If restoration is no longer your resistance, then don’t resist God any longer. Load. Recovery. Adaptation. Resistance is a critical part of the process of physical and spiritual fitness. Your best life won’t be found resisting Jesus, it will be lived restored to God.

Questions for Reflection:

What does Jesus’ death and resurrection personally mean to you?

How would you explain the concept of being restored to God?

Rise to the Occasion

Reading: Judges 6-7:8

Have you ever taken on a really big physical challenge in your life? Something you honestly weren’t sure you could do. I remember the first time I decided to run a marathon. I think it was right after I finished a 5k. Isn’t that how it always is, you do something small and immediately think, “Well if I could do this, surely I can do that!” For some of you, maybe it’s one of those crazy Spartan adventure style races. Or it could just be a really challenging Hero WOD like Murph. As I was reflecting on my decision to run the marathon, I was struck by the phrase “rise to the occasion.” Certainly, something we’ve all heard, thought, or even told someone before, but is that really the case? Could I have just walked out the door the next day and “risen” to the moment of a marathon? For me, the answer would have quickly been no. Why? I think a Navy SEAL quote encapsulates it best – “Under pressure, you don’t rise to the occasion. You sink to the level of your training.”

Sink to the level of your training? That doesn’t quite have the Hallmark card stopping power of rise to the occasion. Yet it’s so true. It was training I needed to complete a marathon. And yes, I could have gone out the next day and “run” a marathon, by which I could have run, jogged, and ultimately walked most of the 26.2 miles. But think about it, that’s exactly what the Navy SEAL is trying to say. I’m not rising to any occasion. I’m sinking to the level of my training. In other words, if I don’t train, I won’t rise. This is consistent with the CrossFit methodology of Mechanics, Consistency, Intensity. Athletes who train consistently with foundational mechanics will be able to move larger loads longer distances. The “sink,” if you will, really is no sink at all because their training is sufficient for the task. In other words, their training has risen them to the occasion.

Life is the same way. I’ve seen good friends of mine respond completely different to similar situations. Like divorce, for example. Ending a marriage is an extremely difficult life event. I’ve had some friends completely lose it, isolating themselves, experiencing intense anxiety and depression which they medicated by either Netflix, alcohol, social media, or a combination. I’ve had other friends who embraced friendships, who talked about their struggles, who asked for help, who owned their actions in the failed marriage and forgave their former spouse for theirs. On the surface, it may look like one rose to the occasion and the other didn’t, but I believe it was based on the strength of their character. Certain character strengths rise and fall based on the situation. Psychologists call them phasic strengths. In an article on the power of phasic strengths, Dr. Ryan Niemiec shares research indicating phasic strengths such as bravery, forgiveness, hope, leadership, and self-regulation may only show up strongly in a person’s life when the situation calls for it.

Part of Spiritual Fitness is training these character strengths. As God moves into the center of your life, He becomes the source of your bravery, forgiveness, hope, leadership, and self-regulation. Resiliency in life isn’t rising to the occasion, it’s sinking to the level of your Spiritual Fitness, which ultimately originates from your relationship with God. I’m challenging you to increase the quality time you spend with God. Really remove all the outside distractions so you can focus on the moment. As you do ask yourself this question – Where is something other than God the center of my life? Bring your answers to God and offer them in surrender. This is part of spiritual training. As your great days and your difficult days start to feel more alike than apart, recognize you are not rising to the occasion. You’re realizing the results of a life with God at the center and in control, and your faith in Him has ultimately risen you to the occasion.

Questions for reflection:

Can you think of a moment in your life where others may have thought you rose to the occasion, but it was really the result of your physical and/or spiritual training?

Are there things that happen which lead you to put something other than God in the center of your life? If so, what are, or were they?