Photo is provided by fitness model Ramon Torres. Photographer: Adrian Tennant. Used by permission.
For several years there’s been a shift toward body-weight exercise and functional fitness. It’s a modality of physical exercise that has fueled the phenomenally successful CrossFit, bootcamps, military style training, extreme adventure races, Plyometrics, and Parkour (look for an upcoming article on this one). This isn’t to say that the traditional gym with free weights, exercise machines and much more is going away or that personal training studios and group exercise are a thing of the past. They’re going stronger than ever before.
However, this hot trend is blowing the lid off the stereotypes many have had about fitness. This stuff is really fun — even crazy. AND – if you think going to a church fellowship dinners and small accountability groups are nice interaction and relationship building, this takes all of that to a whole new level.
According to a January 2015 Washington Post opinion article, religion is losing ground to sports. Certainly many churches are seeing a decline in attendance. However, intense exercise enthusiasts would be mistaken if they presume that their growing numbers will eventually replace church. Here’s why that won’t happen: There’s a God that is continually drawing people. How? Through our own human nature to continually want more. We try but we can never fabricate it because “more” is in fact the very presence of God that humans desire.
This stuff is really fun — even crazy. But, there's a pain, deeper suffering, discipline and brokenness that God wants to forge in your life.
With this issue of Faith & Fitness Magazine we launch a new subcategory to our
Training Department titled Intense, Intents! It’s for everyone that wants to GO HARD — WITH GREAT PURPOSE. It is for everyone that wants their faith and fitness to be – out of the box. It comes with a challenge for you to push yourself relentlessly to be bold, strong and focused with your faith in God as much and even more than you push yourself physically.
When you see people dripping wet with sweat, crawling through mud, driving way beyond their threshold of pain and crying out for more, it’s clear they want intensity. They demand it. If you’re a Christian, give it to them without reservation. Don’t be timid about a God that is extremely passionate to forge a purpose for our lives beyond what we can ever imagine. There is no limit. This is not the time to just be a positive presence and hope that others will somehow see Jesus in you. Try training like that at a bootcamp and see where that gets you.
There’s a pain to building a personal belief in God. There’s a deeper suffering that can only be found as you yield your will and follow Jesus example. There is a discipline that goes beyond the most demanding workout. There’s a brokenness that can’t be gained by attitude or drive.
OUT OF THE BOX FAITH AND FITNESS
Before Americans and the rest of the world population brag with smug pride how humanity has outgrown religion, we need to admit that our appetite for thrills, our need to pledge allegiance and have community and our capacity to be daring all have limits. OK fine, so lots of people don’t get a charge out of going to church just once a week, sitting and hearing an inspirational message, singing, hugging, giving some money and looking forward to it next week. Your intense fitness or sport religion is just a jacked-up version of that. And, for those who pooh-pooh God as some phony bologna fabrication that is no longer relevant to a contemporary society, go ahead – you’ve decided to keep God in a box. For anyone else who has the guts to go further, read on:
Intense, Intents! Means to GO HARD – WITH GREAT PURPOSE.
(Be sure to click and read the four links below.)
Until your financial investment into others (who you personally find are in need) exceeds your race entry fee or your monthly fitness membership you haven’t come close to achieving the pinnacle of sacrifice that God has for you.
Until you can desire to hang out with those you don’t think are desirable you’ll never gain the strength in fellowship that you’re intended to have.
Once you despise your own capacity and instead draw on God alone then you’ll go all the way where suffering and death = resurrection power.
These aren’t imaginary spiritual platitudes and they sure aren’t hype for endorphin-driven self-praise. This is all or nothing intense, intents!
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