What does the GOSPEL have to do with Crossfit??

I think Jesus is so cool. I know I say that a lot. But, He really DOES know us. He knows our wants, our desires, our likes, our dislikes, our everythings. What I really like is the way He speaks to us. He speaks to everyone differently, but He always speaks to me in ways that show just how intentional He is. He knows my mind. He knows the things that set off those “a-ha” moments in my head.

I overanalyze everything. Probably more than the average human being does. I think about things… a lot… too much… always. Never stopping. When I gave my life to Christ, I started thinking about things in a whole different way. It’s like God is constantly carrying on a conversation with me.  

I don’t need to restate it again, but everyone who knows me knows I love fitness. This is where that whole “God knows us so well” thing comes into play. He always allows me to relate His truths to OTHER things that I love in my life… One of those being Crossfit. I started going a couple months back. I think it’s safe to say it has become one of my favorite parts of my day! It has completely changed my outlook on fitness. It changed my view of what “fitness” looked like to one of distortion to one of clarity (hmmm… doesn’t that sound awfully familiar?)

So, on Wednesday the WOD (for all those who don’t speak Crossfit lingo, that’s code for Workout of the Day) included Wall Hand-Stand pushups. What does that look like you ask? Well, something like this:

This is my friend Sara  - one of the strongest woman I know… physically and mentally. She is what I like to call my encouragement at 6 AM! She pushes me and speaks truth into my mornings.  More importantly, her FAITH is undeniable. Where her foundation stands is apparent. I don’t even know much about her personal life, but it’s not hard to tell when someone is living for the Lord.

Before going into the WOD, Coach explained the movement. Now, I’m a go-getter. I like to give things my all. I knew when the movement was explained I could do this. HOWEVER, he explained, “form was most important”. And it is. Before being able to even ATTEMPT the push-up in this position, the foundation of the movement must be established. If this wasn’t established, then we were to to do an alternate movement called a “Wall walk-up”.

SCREW THAT. Over my dead body was I going to do the wall walk-ups. First of all, wall handstand push-ups looked WAY cooler, and second of all  “alternate” movement to me was code for “easy way out”.  I KNEW I could do the wall handstand pushups. For crying out loud, I did gymnastics when I was 7 years old. I could do a wall handstand push up....

Two rounds into these beasts it hit me….. I could NOT do a wall handstand push up. I could easily get INTO the position, but it required a bounce and a kick, and then I was kind of awkwardly stuck in this frozen movement upside down with jello arms. My foundation was not established. My core wasn’t tight, and I was not moving. The pushup wasn’t happening. “Man, did I look cool though??”

Simultaneously, I was really dealing with some things last week. Dealing with my self-worth, my identity, and who I was in Christ – Taking a good hard look at my past and letting the Lord strip me down of all the “stuff “ in my life. To be honest, all really good things, but I was just having a hard time working through it. I was getting super discouraged because I felt like I was failing in a lot of ways. That is when I was reminded of the Gospel, the VERY foundation of my Christian Faith. Jen Pinkner spent weeks going over it with me, and I never really understood why she continued to ask me week after week to repeat it to her.  One thing, in particular, she said:

“We must ALWAYS go back to the Gospel.” That was it! The Gospel IS OUR foundation. You must lay this foundation before going any further.

The GOSPEL.  Romans 3

The GOSPEL. We are all sinners, and have broken the law

The GOSPEL. Because of our sin we are separated from God

The GOSPEL. But JESUS bore our sins, died for US, and satisfied the law by dying on the Cross.

The GOSPEL. By placing our Faith in Jesus Christ, we are saved from the judgement of God. 

Without going back and reminding myself of the very foundation of my Faith (The Gospel) I will continue to set myself up for failure, trying to live by a law and standards of perfection. I must always have my foundation down pat. Should I still strive to uphold God’s law? Absolutely! But, without the constant understanding of the Gospel, I am “holding a hand-stand on a wall with jello arms”.  Without having my foundation down in ANY exercise movement, I will never get stronger. I may look awfully good doing it, but I will be making no progress. I think in the same way, the GOSPEL must ALWAYS be our foundation. We can never get stronger in Christ and in our Faith without always keeping our minds and hearts and thoughts on the Gospel. My Prayer for you today is that you will likewise be reminded of where your foundation lies, and speak the Truth of the Gospel! Peace and Love. :)