Engaging your faith through exorcising it

This morning I met with Marc Nee for my first session with a personal trainer. We went over his evaluation from our time last week and laid out the plan for our time together. It looked easy enough but I had this sneaking suspicion that it would be more than I had bragained for.

Let me tell you that as we neared the end of the hour I was worn out. We didn't even do that much. Mostly stretching and flexing and rolling and pulling. I had worked up quite a sweat too. My body just wasn't used to doing that much work. Of course by anybody else's standards we really didn't do that much. It was a lot of little things. Things that I am not used to doing.

It prompted me to realize that even though I have been going to the gym for twelve years, I have never had this kind of a workout. I usually do cardio. I ride the bike, walk the treadmill, do the elliptical trainer or every once in a while try another machine. I sweat. I feel good. But today I think I used muscles that I don't normally use. I probably burned off just as many calories too.

It made me think about the people who come to church for years and years but don't really do much with their faith. They get a good baseline. They develop some good habits. But the power of living with Jesus in your every day life just isn't there. Jesus is more like a historical figure than the Loird of your life. He is more of a memory than a real presence.

If you want to exercise your body you need to engage it. The same is true with our faith. It needs to be lived out every day. We need to walk with Jesus. We need to read his word. We need to praise and worship him. Then we will feel the change in our life and begin to do some powerful faith walking.

Cal