Spiritual Training Cycle: Submission (wk. 9/13)
Have you ever told someone not to do something, but they did it anyway? As a coach, I’ve been there plenty of times. It goes like this.
“Your heels are coming off the ground when you squat. Let’s push your hips back a bit and try to get your weight centered.”
“Ok, coach.”
And then after one or two decent reps, I turn my attention to another athlete, and there out of the corner of my eye I see those heels off the ground again.
“Push your hips back.”
“Sorry, coach.”
When people do something you told them not to, they don’t need your anger. They may just need a reminder.
Reminders are an essential part of healthy relationships. If an athlete keeps doing what I told them not to do, but all I do is get frustrated or ignore it or ignore them altogether, then we have a communication problem – which is my fault.
Reminders are like verbal expressions of forgiveness. For example, when you remind your parents you’re an adult, it’s your way of forgiving them for treating you like a child. When I remind an athlete to push their hips back, I’m essentially forgiving them for getting it wrong. But I’m not laying blame. I’m not calling them out. I’m coaching them up.
When it comes to spiritual fitness, the process is the same. Because we get it wrong in life. I know I do. Which makes forgiveness a key part of our relationship with God. The beautiful thing is that forgiveness is an expression of the heart of God. It’s in His very nature to forgive you.
But He doesn’t do it by calling you out. God shows His forgiveness by coaching you up through reminders. His reminders to us are expressions of His forgiveness. Here’s the greatest reminder God has ever given me – That I am still loved by Him.
I’ve run away from God and He’s reminded me that I’m still loved. I’ve denied the existence of God and He’s reminded me I’m still loved. I’ve squandered my wealth, I’ve puffed myself up with pride, I’ve rested on my accomplishments – And in every situation He reminds me I’m still loved.
Let this reminder sink in today – You are still loved by God. Allow His reminders to soften your heart and reshape the way you live. God’s not disappointed in you. His reminders are the expression of His forgiving heart.
Questions for Reflection:
How has God reminded you of His forgiveness in your life?
How do you forgive someone but also maintain a healthy boundary with them?
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