People who know me know that I place physical fitness pretty high on my priorities list. People that really know me know that I have the capability to put fitness a little too high on my priorities list.
I think part of this goes with the fact I am just a little OCD, so I tend to let numbers control my brain (I am an engineer, after all). For this reason, I tend to get constantly focused in on the number of calories burned, the number of calories consumed, and all the other formulas and numbers that go into fitness.. miles, inches, pounds, BMI, etc.
I think another huge culprit to blame is the constant need to be a perfectionist. I don’t like the idea of giving fitness 50%. If I’m going to start a workout program, I’m going to give it 100%. For this reason, it is so easy for me to sometimes put everything else in my life on hold to just focus on my goal. I think perfectionism and OCD kind of go hand in hand, so it makes sense of why I think this way.
However, I think the biggest issue I have comes with wanting a “quick fix” – wanting things now, as quick as possible, without having to put in a whole lot of work. For this reason, I end up setting unrealistic goals for myself such as having to do 5-10 miles a day on a tredmill and eating an all vegan diet. I then try to combine all this with nightly yoga classes, Insanity workouts, and anything else I can find in order to drastically improve my fitness regimen. Why? Because I want good results, instantly. Metaphorically, sometimes I see things as a sprint rather than a marathon. I focus on my progress today rather than what it will be like in a couple months. In doing this, I kind of set myself up for failure! Because the tiniest bit of failure in this scenario feels like an entire defeat.
I’ve been thinking about my physical fitness and spiritual fitness a lot this week. In the same way I view physical fitness, I think I view my spiritual fitness in the same way. Often times, I’ll ask for a deeper longing for Christ or I’ll ask Him to take away a particular sin I’ve been struggling with. And then you know what happens next? I’ll find myself waiting and saying “Alright God, any day now. Let's make this happen." In the same way, I am looking for a quick fix. I’m asking God to change me without putting in the work and discipline. I want him to “fix” me, but I don’t take into account that it is a process, and I must put in the work and discipline, and patience!
Doing this means surrendering to Him and Him alone. It means staying in the Word daily and speaking Truth to myself at times that I get discouraged. Sometimes I think I get caught up in WAITING for God to do something fast, that I forget that I must be proactive about it. I can’t expect results without the discipline and hard work. It is something that requires endurance and takes time. It isn't necessarily a "quick fix". It requires patience, endurance, strength, and self-discipline.
“Being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.” Colossians 1:11
I love this verse. It is a reminder that in both spiritual fitness and physical fitness, we must rely on Him. When I set out to do a goal myself, I usually fail. We must put our reliance in Christ – HE will strengthen us to complete our goals. Even when we fail, He will be right there saying “It’s ok, get back up again.”
Me mentor, Jennifer Pinkner, knows of my struggle with taking fitness to the extreme and gave me 1 Timothy 4:7-8 to meditate on. It’s been huge for me. It emphasizes the importance for physical fitness, but stresses the absolute need for spiritual fitness… Because in the end, isn’t that all that matters? :)
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