As a gym owner, strength coach, and bodybuilder I’ve been thrown for a loop. I’m sure many of you feel the same. This is a different time for us all. We are out of our routine. If you are like me, it was a serious struggle in the beginning. The gym being shut-down and having to stay home was uncomfortable. I struggled to balance writing programs for clients, helping my kids with the new online learning, and getting my own workouts completed. And food…wow…where do I even start with food? Anyone else making 15-27 trips to the fridge during the day? Things are improving as the weeks pass by though – even the food. I hope and pray it’s the same for you. Sure, some days are rough, but there aren’t as many as in the beginning. If you find yourself struggling pretty consistently, let me share some encouragement. The MOST important piece of advice I give myself and my clients right now is to GIVE YOURSELF GRACE. I’m going to show you why this is SO important!
“Remember He is the artist and you are only the picture. You can’t see it. So quietly submit to be painted.” ~ C.S. Lewis
I took this picture of my wife in the summer while she was using a cast net. She LOVES to do this! She’ll throw and gather…throw and gather…over and over again for hours. She works so hard!!! When I think about how hard she works while doing this, it makes me think about how hard we try to work in life. We try to work and earn. We sweat and push. We fight and grind. We do this for self-worth, value, and to make up for what we think we lack. We try and try and try…working and earning and deserving. We beat ourselves up thinking we’re coming up short, never understanding it isn’t supposed to be this way. This is a trying time where missed workouts, diet screw-ups, and schedule hiccups can seem devastating. We’re in a period of time where it’s easy to listen to the whispers that say we’re failing as parents. We entertain thoughts that we can’t do this because we aren’t good enough. We start taking on the suggestions that we can’t control our temper, our anxiety, or our fear. We begin to carry weight we aren’t meant to carry. It can pile on and on. Before you know it, you start having days where you wake up with an inescapable dark cloud and a heavy black blanket smothering you. If this describes you, I want you to know you aren’t alone. This is real and it happens to a lot of people. It has happened to me. It’s OK for those thoughts, doubts, and questions to visit, but DO NOT let them take up residence. How do you kick them out? Focus on the Gospel. Start REALLY BELIEVING the Gospel. Believe God designed you. Believe because He designed you – you ARE beautiful. Believe that you ARE enough. God loves you so much that He sent His son to die for you. He did this to take our sins so that we may find peace, joy, and have a relationship with Him. As I said earlier, the important thing to do right now is to give yourself grace. I say this because God has designed us and given each one of us spiritual gifts. If we let all the negative thoughts I mentioned take up dwelling within us, we cannot use the gifts God gave us to help the church or each other. When we “put ourselves” down, we are actually rejecting the gifts God has given us. If I had not learned to give myself grace and accept God’s grace, I wouldn’t be able to write what you are reading right now. If I had not learned to embrace my true identity in Christ, I could not use the gift of encouragement God has given me to bless you and others. Give yourself grace…because God gives you grace. Accept that you are wonderfully made. Know you are complete with gifts that will bless you and bless others! I pray you find peace, strength, joy, and purpose during this time so you will be able to fully use your gifts to bring God glory! Remember -We are being masterfully worked on by the MOST AMAZING Artist. Oh…and what a beautiful painting will be painted for the world to see if we are quiet, accept His grace, and have faith in His design. Love you all! God Bless! – Anthony
“Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
