Spiritual Training Cycle: Submission (wk. 8/13)
As of November 12, 2023, Brian Reyelt of Roswell, Georgia holds the Guinness World Record for the most burpees in 24 hours, with 11,988 burpees. Reyelt's attempt was to honor his wife, a breast cancer survivor, and he raised $22,000 for the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute.
I Hate Burpees
Can I go on record at the beginning of this blog? I hate burpees. I have a high regard for Brian Reyelt, and particularly admire that his effort raised $22,000. But — I still hate burpees.
I’ve been doing CrossFit for four years. That’s more than two hundred weeks. And every single week, there’s been a least one workout that included burpees. I know they are good for you. I know they combine cardio with muscle-building. I know they can be done without any specialized equipment. I know they can be modified with “burpee-to-a-box” or sprawls or other variations. No matter. I still hate burpees.
The Price of Admission is Hard
But, if you are going to be a CrossFit athlete, burpees are a part of your life. Like speedbag work for a boxer or interval sprint training for a long-distance runner, if you are serious about your fitness level, you do the things that contribute to your development. Sometimes, as with burpees, that means doing hard things over and over again.
Forgiveness is Hard
In Matthew 18, Jesus is in the middle of a number of lessons that are specifically about living a life that reflects God’s love. One of those lessons is to forgive, even when someone doesn’t deserve it.
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. — Matt. 18:21-22
Similar to burpees – but much more important for a truly healthy life! – practicing the act of forgiveness is a discipline that requires consistent work. Forgiveness is an expression of the heart of God. Peter’s mention of “seven” reflected what he thought was a lot. Jesus came back and in essence said, “seven is not even scratching the surface.” For a follower of Jesus, forgiveness, as a reflection of a mercy-filled God who forgives, requires on-going effort. Forgiveness is a life-long discipline and exercise for those choosing to apprentice themselves to Jesus.
Doing the Right Thing can be Expensive
Several years ago, I was part of small leadership team that had a big vision for doing important work. We all felt called to this new organization. We believed God was going to bless our endeavors and make a big impact for his kingdom.
Eighteen months later I left the organization with my hopes dashed. I was wronged by the very people who dreamed big things with me. Regardless of the reality that I had wronged them at least as much as they had wronged me, I was broken by their violation of my trust. I felt betrayed and disappointed.
A Slow Walk through Deep Sand
Like someone walking up a steep sand dune, forgiving them was hard for me. I moved slowly. I slid back down into anger and bitterness any number of times. Taking the right steps to forgive them required effort. More than three years passed before I began to develop a healthy sense of perspective. But slowly, over time, I began to see things from their perspective, and more importantly, from God’s perspective. I was able to forgive them and move on. The consistent discipline of practicing forgiveness gave me a healthier spiritual life.
If you’ve lived life for very long at all, you’ve been wounded. You’ve had wrongs done to you. Jesus’ challenge for you and me is to remember God’s forgiveness of your wrongdoing, and work to become more like him.
An Important Final Note
Granting forgiveness to someone is not the same as being fully reconciled to them. There are people and situations that all of us should avoid. Forgiveness does not mean we open ourselves up to their repeated wrong-doing. What forgiveness does mean is that we give their wrongdoing to God. We “let go” of their offense and trust God for our spiritual health and theirs as well.
Questions for Reflection:
Where do you need to practice the discipline of forgiveness?
How do you work at forgiving someone for the big things?
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