Perhaps you’ve never put all the pieces of the puzzle together before. If not, let us help. Some women (and men too) go to the gym in part because they have low self-esteem, unmet emotional needs, sexual desires and spiritual longings. They get fit, look great, feel really good and get positive feedback. That doesn’t satisfy their needs but instead fuels the lust for more. They may go to a stripper school or stripper university but eventually get into the business of being a stripper.
The assumption: “With a body like that you should be making lots of money.”
The reality: “You can only find true fulfillment when you recognize your body is a gift from God and use it for His purpose.”
Dance, high-intensity movement — there are all kinds of programs designed for women to have fun getting fit these days. Some gyms now offer a Pole Dance Workout For Beginners. It’s a group exercise class. Innocent enough, right? Well sure, the moves are in fact quite physically demanding, giving your core and your entire body a broad workout. It can be an intense cardio regiment too. However be honest with yourself if this “workout” is stimulating more than your muscles — your desires, your fantasies, your behaviors and your attitudes in ways that are erotic, self-glorifying, tempting and more then you’re exercising something more. The more you exercise those passions the stronger they become and the weaker your spirit is in God.
At that point you are in bondage to your physical body.
FREE 'FROM' SOMETHING 'FOR' SOMETHING
Stripped Free is a ministry to break free from that bondage. It was founded on the belief that God desires freedom for all of us because he loves us and He calls us outside of the comfortable walls of our homes and churches to share the freedom we’ve experienced through Him with others. The ministry isn’t just to undo what has been learned it is to help women discover they can do so much more in Christ Jesus. Kim Tabour says, “We believe He sets us free FROM something FOR something.”
Michelle Williams reports in her Current In Geist article that Kim Tabor and Stefanie Jeffers started the Stripped Free ministry in Indianapolis, Indiana, “aimed at bringing hope and love to a group of women who are often abused and misunderstood.” Faith & Fitness Magazine is sharing this story because the fitness industry and the sex industry are too closely connected. More specifically this story demonstrates how two women who enjoy physical fitness have responded to a calling God has given them. God has crafted that calling to be a dynamic ministry that is changing lives.
Stripped Free is a ministry to women who dance in strip clubs in the city of Indianapolis. The Stripped Free team works to develop relationships with the dancers in order to show them they are loved and they matter to God and them. As followers of Christ, this team has been rescued, redeemed and restored by Him. They know that God desires the same for the dancers in these clubs. They are the mouthpieces to share His love and message.
THREE WAYS YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
1. Pray– Please lift up the women in the clubs. Pray that many would come to know Christ and His saving power and that they would realize there IS hope for a different life in Him. Also pray for our team. We need wisdom and protection both physically and spiritually. Pray that we would love these women well, like Jesus loves them.
2. Invest – There are many different ways to invest with both your time and your resources. You can volunteer to supply and assemble gift bags for the girls snd be part of a prayer team together. You can also invest financially in the Stripped Free ministry of Tabor Ministries. Tabor Ministries is a 501(c)(3) and all gifts are tax deductible. Go to Tabor www.taborministries.org or www.finallyfreeconference.org and donating to the TM Kingdom Fund and specifying Stripped Free in the Special Instructions/Message area of the payment page.
3. Share – Plan to attend a Finally Free Conference. Share this ministry with others by sharing the blogs with your friends and church contacts. Beyond spreading the word consider starting a Stripped Free ministry in your community.
REALLY? IN MY COMMUNITY?
Yes, if there is a gym or personal trainer in your community then there are likely people getting fit who are not clear about their motives, they’re concerned about some of their behaviors and they recognize that they need help to gain the spiritual strength that deep down they desire. If you own, operate or work in a fitness facility or you are a personal trainer or wellness professional AND you are a Christian then you are a candidate for getting training to help people in this way. For more ideas on how people are responding to God's calling build on the fitness lifestyle as a way to do ministry with others read the CALLING CRAFTED issue of Faith & Ftness Magazine.
