by David Scott Robertson
(1 Tim 4:8 NIV) For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
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I recently completed the 12-week Body For Life Challenge (http://www.bodyforlife.com/). It is an 84-day physical fitness challenge designed to assist participants in achieving positive transformation in their fitness level and body composition (as well as reduce stress and receive emotional strength by establishing healthy disciplines in their lives.)
Motivational author Bill Phillips in his best-selling book "Body For Life" shares his own success story of how he dramatically transformed his health and appearance in 12-weeks of focused effort. He has challenged others to follow his lead and join him in experiencing a higher quality of life. So far tens of thousands from all walks of life have accepted his Challenge, with me among them.
Throughout the Challenge, I carefully planned (in advance) six small but healthy and balanced meals to eat daily as well as six 20-45 minute workouts per week involving cardiovascular exercise and weight training.
I focused on ten muscle areas: chest, shoulders, triceps, back, biceps, quads, hamstrings, calves, abs, and my heart. (Bear with me, I'm going somewhere spiritual with all this!)
I took a "before" and "after" photo and charted my progress in a training journal.
Perhaps the most significant day was "Day 85," the day after I had completed the Challenge. On that day, after my morning devotions, I went to the gym as usual to workout and returned home for a day of eating six small but healthy and balanced meals. To this day, I am continuing to workout six days each week because although I initially accepted a short-term challenge in reality I formed a long-term habit that has created a permanent commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
Now, the reason I believe the Lord allowed me to complete the BFL Challenge was to prepare me for a far greater one which I call "The JFL Challenge."
The "Jesus For Life Challenge (or JFL) will require of me the same dedication, passion, and commitment as the BFL Challenge did but focuses on those areas that are analogous to my Christian life.
I chose ten "spiritual muscle groups" to concentrate on for the next 12 weeks or 84 days. They are: prayer, fasting, worship, Bible reading, personal growth reading, ministry, evangelism, family devotions, journaling, and writing "Thoughts about God" (like this one).
In the BFL Challenge, my goals included improved health, strength, flexibility, energy level, body fat loss, and lean muscle mass gain. I met all those objectives.
In the JFL Challenge, my goals include personal revival, renewal, revelation, revolution, refreshing, recharging, revitalization and reproduction of what I learn and gain into the lives of others.
In the BFL Challenge, there were certain things that I did daily (like eat nutritious meals and use supplements), and some things that I did three times a week (like weightlifting and cardio training.) Sundays were a day of rest.
In the JFL Challenge, I will similarly do some things daily and some things less often.
I'm still praying and meditating on how the Lord wants me to do this, but as an example, it could look something like this:
- 7 seven days a week I will pray, ready my Bible and worship.
- 6 days a week, I will fast TV and secular movies.
- 5 days a week I will concentrate on ministry and reading or viewing resources by godly authors.
- 4 days a week I will attempt to journal.
- 3 days a week I will try to have brief family devotions.
- 2 days a week I will dedicate the evenings to purposely involve myself in evangelism.
- 1 day a week I will share a new Thought about God with family and friends.
With the Holy Spirit's help, I'm not going to fall into legalism in this JFL Challenge, but I am going to purposefully structure and condition myself to shore up these areas of my spiritual life.
Through the JFL Challenge, I want improved spiritual wellness. I want to lay aside every weight that hinders me and strengthen the areas of my life that are weak. I want the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) to be so dramatically improved that I'm quite literally transformed in my walk with Jesus at the end of this 12-week Challenge.
There are probably some who will read what I've written here and summarily dismiss it as a lofty but ridiculous exercise in futility. I suppose all we have to do is look in the mirror at the condition we've allowed our physical bodies to get into to ascertain whether or not we are qualified to criticize someone else who's trying to do something positive for a change.
I love the ancient oriental proverb: "He who say it cannot be done should get out of the way of him who doing it."
Having just come through 84 consecutive days of the BFL Challenge successfully (and still going strong!) I have the confidence to move on to something I consider of far greater (and eternal) value - my spiritual fitness.
We can't take a "before" and "after" photo of our souls (mind, will, and emotions) and our spirits, but I assure you everyone will be able to tell the difference in my life if I'm able to pull this off.
What about you? Are you up for a Challenge? Are you ready to rise above the level of mediocrity and blast past excuses as to why you can't be a more powerful man or woman of God? Are you just going to sit there another day / week / month / year and accept your spiritual condition or are you going to get up and do something about it?
Nike said it first but you may need to say it to yourself at long last: "Just do it!"
DSR
10/25/04