By Brad Bloom, Publisher, Faith & Fitness Magazine
What do you do when things look a little off? For the longest time I ignored it. Then one day I noticed it looked a little more off – a lot more off! I’m talking about the roofline of my porch. From a distance it appeared to not quite be level. From the time the subtle became the obvious I had allowed rot, decay and the invisible force of gravity to destroy more than six inches. Things didn’t just look bad they were bad.
When I finally quit looking from a distance, nothing was solid or secure. In fact three of four main posts were rotten and just dangling, no longer supporting any weight. They created an appearance that everything was fine, normal and as it should be, but in fact they were adding to the problem – a heavy burden. To neglect my outside porch longer would most certainly affect my inside home. One is attached to the other.
We all love a good fixer upper story. It’s the house in need of repair, the dwelling we know has potential. If it’s not a house it could be a car or antique – something that has potential value – incredible value when touched by the right hands. These properties are often in such terrible condition that, “You’ve gotta’ be kidding me?!” is the only way to describe it. For many people the “fixer upper” is their body AND their spirit. Both are in such neglected condition that hopeless is how we are convinced we must live life.
Such was the case for Father Ryan Rooney. Obesity for him was much more than a size XXXL wardrobe. His physical body was weighing down his ability to do ministry. Today he celebrates the life Christ has given him with passion as a priest, a spin instructor and as the founder of Priestfit. You may not be a Catholic priest, but what if God’s design for you is to live like a king and have the authority to care for others like a priest?
Concita Thomas is a woman with whom many women can relate. She struggled with her weight and her relationship with food. Often driven by fear that the appearance achieved by diet and exercise could all be gone easily if she didn’t remain strong. She felt stuck until God gave her a new perspective on self-control. She discovered the joy of being able and willing to do what needs to be done even in the face of temptation. What if you really caught the vision of sacrifice being the design plan for, “Oh My – God this is amazing.”
Are you addicted to cigarettes, fast food and sugar? Are you diagnosed with depression? Jez Godlonton in London was and he realized he had become a Christian with no purpose. He discovered that realigning life to how Jesus intended, gave him purpose and true wellbeing. Like my porch roof, getting life plum and keeping in alignment with God, gives you the deeper strength of being level. What if gravity, the force of attraction, is in fact what makes us stronger and pushes us higher?
What if we quit asking what if, grab the sledgehammer, take aim at the rotten infrastructure that doesn’t hold any weight, swing, knock it out of our life once and for all and replace it with good hardware, a solid pillar of strength, a sure foundation, and the evidence of things unseen.
Quit looking at the weakness of you and everyone around you. Instead, imagine the potential and build up your spirit and the spirit of those around you until you realize the fullness of the incredible strength God gives. He gives us a solid foundation
Through faith in Jesus there is a sustainable design, a master plan, an ultimate makeover that gives new life and lasting-value. Jesus Christ doesn’t JUST restore lives – you aren’t just valued as a fixer upper. Jesus Christ transforms you into your ultimate potential with a spiritual physique that is fit for the master’s use.
Put on the gloves, get building muscle – physically and spiritually. You are a Fitser Upper.
Train strong in Christ,
-Brad Bloom, Publisher
WHAT IS YOUR FITSER UPPER STORY?
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This Publisher’s Letter appears in the April/May 2017 issue of Faith & Fitness Magazine.
