Delighting in the world or the WORD?

This morning I had the privilege to share a meal and Bible study with a few incredible college students.  Our text this morning was Psalm 1.

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1 Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

     nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

     and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree

     planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

     and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so,

     but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

     nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

     but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1 forces the reader to ask himself  - do you want to be blessed?  I think almost everyone would say, “Yes, I want to be blessed.”  However, this world offers so many different opinions on not only what it means to be blessed, but also how one might obtain the blessed life.  In Psalm 1, the author establishes a contrast between two sets of people – the righteous and the wicked.   In his eyes, every single person falls into one of these two categories.  While believers must understand that positional righteousness comes only through faith in Christ, God also calls us to practical holiness – we must pursue righteousness in our life as a result of the right standing we have before God.   In studying Psalm 1, however, we must be careful to fully understand the contrast God has for us.  I don’t think he is simply making a contrast between wickedness and righteousness.  Rather, I think God wants us to examine the object of our delights.  The contrasting question being posed is, “Do you delight in the things of this world and its ‘wisdom’ or do you delight in the Word of God?”

 If we want to live a life that pursues righteousness, we must transfer our delights.  We cannot seek to delight in the world – we must delight in the Word.  What is interesting about this is that no one ever teaches us to follow the world.  We don’t fall into sin out of duty; rather, we sin because of misplaced affection.  We observe the world, we believe the world, and ultimately we begin to follow the world.  What the Psalmist would rather us do is DELIGHT in the Lord and His Word.   We delight in the Lord as we meditate on the truths of Scripture and relishing the Gospel that gives us life.  As we behold His Word, behold His grace, and behold His love we learn to delight in Him – not out of duty – rather, we delight in Him because we see Him as the all-satisfying Lord!

As we find out delight in the Lord, the psalmist encourages us that we are like a tree planted by steams of water.  In this, there are incredible blessings that come.  He says that we will be fruitful.  He says that we will endure.  He says that we will prosper.  These are amazing blessings, but we cannot simply obtain these in and of themselves.  They are but the bi-product of us delighting in the Lord.  If you want to live a blessed life pursuing righteousness – you must delight in the Lord.   In my life, no one has forced me to eat out of duty – food is my quest – and I love eating.  I delight in eating food.  Likewise, my prayer is that I don’t reduce delighting in the Word as mere duty – it is a duty because I need it, but more so the Word is delightful and a blessing!

What God has taught me through CrossFit part 5: humility

Growing up, my parents always encouraged my brother and I to be active.  While we dabbled in neighborhood sports from street hockey to basketball, our love was soccer.  In fact, we loved soccer so much that we never participated in another team sport until I played high school football my freshman year.  However, athletics were always a part of my life and I would consider myself to be an athletic individual.   Like many athletes, I have struggled over the years finding my identity in sports and results.   As you succeed at something, it becomes more and more of a challenge to remain humble.  However, with CrossFit, God has continued humble me, and He has also taught me the value of HUMILITY.  In making this statement, I am in no way declaring that I have figured this thing out – I haven’t.  I'm simply saying, God has been challenging me and teaching me lessons about the value of humility and often times crushing my pride.  There is still pride to be crushed!

A year ago I walked into CrossFit with “confidence” about my ability to complete workouts.  However, within a few hours of foundations class, I soon learned I had so much to learn and so much room to grow.  In fact, by that Friday, I had realized I was weaker than I thought I was and I was certainly fatter than I thought I was.   During that first week I remember seeing a sign posted about the “box rules.”   One specific rule caught my eye.  It stated, “Check your ego at the door.”  At first I thought this was simply an encouragement so the community could get along.  However, what I soon learned was that this is necessary for every individual if you want to last at CrossFit.  You see I believe if you go into the box everyday with your ego intact, you simply will not last.  Why?  CrossFit is HARD, and it really doesn’t get easier. There is always more weight to life, better techniques to learn and master, a faster time to run or row, and more reps and rounds to complete – it does not end!  Each and every WOD will leave you wondering what you got yourself into and how in the world you are going to show up tomorrow.  The WODs that appear easiest are often times the hardest.  What I have learned is that if you don’t check your ego at the door, CrossFit has a way of helping to humiliate you and crushing your pride.  That is why you will not last in your pride.

It is amazing to watch humility in action as well.  What I have witnessed at our box is that the best athletes – the best lifters – the best competitors are often times the ones that display the most humility.  Humility displays itself in so many ways, and it is beautiful to watch and learn – these athletes listen.  They ask questions.  They want to learn.  They are teachable and moldable.  All of this screams – I have not arrived but I want to grow - I want to get better.  Additionally, these folks often are quick to answer my questions or others’ questions.  They are not about hoarding what they have learned.  They are about seeing everyone grow.  Granted, this is not true of everyone, but I can honestly say I have seen it firsthand and it is beautiful!

This humility and willingness to learn is exactly what we see in many of the disciples in Scripture.  As Jesus first called His disciples, he didn’t call people who had it all together.  The world looked at the original disciples as unlearned men but they were teachable and even though they were extremely slow to learn some lessons, we do see a willingness on their part to confess their need.  Jesus can use anyone who wants to be used, but wanting to be used displays itself in humility.  Often times, our attitude is the opposite.  We want to be used, so we declare what proficiencies we have or what we bring to the table.   Instead of displaying humility we exude arrogance.  In our arrogance, often times, we stunt our own growth.  We spin our wheels because we want to flex our muscles, when Jesus says, humble yourself and I will use you.  Several Scriptures have been encouraging me in this area:

1 Peter 5:6  “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the might hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”

Matthew 23:12 “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Philippians 2:3-11 “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

I am so thankful that God has allowed me to experience CrossFit over the last year and I am extremely thankful for the coaches who have poured into me so faithfully.  Nick, Cindy, Colin, and Kelly helped me begin my journey and Steve and Bill have helped me continue over the last several months.  I appreciate these people so much, and I would highly recommend you considering whether CrossFit might be for you.  It has been an incredible year of growth and learning and I am looking forward to embracing the next year!

What God has taught me through CrossFit part 4...ENCOURAGEMENT

CrossFit is tough.  I mean, I always used to think I knew what working out was, and then I met CrossFit.  As such, any inspirations you can muster up will benefit you greatly.  However, what also is incredible about CrossFit is the amazing ENCOURAGEMENT that exists in the community.  But when does ENCOURAGEMENT not encourage people?  God has taught me much about this during my time at CrossFit.

On Memorial Day, I went to workout knowing that I was getting myself into a tough workout. Every Memorial Day several boxes complete the workout “Murph.”  “Murph” is a ridiculous hard workout consisting of a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, and then a final one-mile run.  My goal was to complete the workout in about 50 minutes.  As I progressed through the workout, I was thirty minutes in when someone began shouting.  They were pacing around the gym shouting random things about the workout and challenging everyone to get going.  Keep in mind I said my goal was 50 minutes, and at this point I was just a little past half way through when a person who had finished the workout in less than 30 minutes began “encouraging.”  Let me tell you something – it was NOT encouraging.  It was discouraging – in so many ways.

What I learned that day and what I have continued to learn is that ENCOURAGEMENT is a powerful tool, when it’s really encouragement.  What I mean is this – everyone receives encouragement differently, and what one person might think is encouraging might actually be the opposite for the person receiving it.   During “Murph” I was in no way encouraged – in fact – I wanted to quit for several reasons.  However, during many a workout I have been encouraged by words as simple as, “David” and “Good job.” When someone is in the middle of pushing himself to the limit and he has enough heart to encourage me, just hearing my name encourages me to go further.  When my coaches say “good job,” it tells me to continue on working hard knowing that I am in process doing things right.

God has taught me that to truly encourage someone else, we need to encourage them in their language – to care about them – to think how they might be receiving our words.  I want to be an encouragement to those around me, and sometimes that means saying very little, other times it means offering physical presence, and other times it might simply mean being there and not saying a word.  God tells us in 1 Thessalonians that we are to encourage one another and build one another up.  This can only happen as we genuinely care about those we are trying to encourage and build up.  If we don’t speak their “language,” why would we expect to simply encourage them because we think we are?  Lord knows we all need encouragement, and I pray that I become a better encourager both in CrossFit and in life!

What God has taught me through CrossFit part 3: COMPARISON and PROGRESS

As I was running during a WOD a few weeks back, I had a moment with the Lord that leads me to share “What God has taught me through CrossFit, part 3: COMPARISON and PROGRESS.”

We recently made a move to a new city and began working out with a new community.  This obviously has been a transition, but we have begun to develop relationships with some wonderful new people in our class. However, my wife and I noticed something particularly strange during our first weeks working out.  There is one individual who shows up every day, attempts movements, but simply is not honest when it comes to the white board.  The whiteboard, for those not familiar with CrossFit, is simply, well, a whiteboard used to track workouts for the classes and to record scores.  For this person, it seems the whiteboard is what they show up for.  Over and over again my wife and I would leave the box and while driving home we would remark to one another, “Did you see what this person said they did? That’s ridiculous – there is absolutely no way.”  I think the CrossFit community as a whole values honesty, and this person wasn’t being honest.  On top of that, this person was using the whiteboard as a comparison when they simply should have been focused on completing the movements correctly.   However, what God spoke to me that morning was not a problem with the individual; rather, he showed me a problem in my heart.

You see, deep in the inner workings of my heart, there was a sense of anger that this person would be perceived as doing more than me.  I had in a sick way begun looking to this person as the measurement for my success.  Now, for those who have ever met me know that I am a slightly competitive person – ok – very competitive person.  There is room for competition in CrossFit, but this type of sick comparison is simply unprofitable.   Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and for me comparison was ripping the joy out of my workouts.  When I first started CrossFit  I knew I couldn’t keep up with anyone, so for each WOD, I went into my own little world and simply did the best that I could.  In fact, hardly ever did I look at the whiteboard to see where I stacked up.  Suddenly, months later I am looking to someone who cannot even complete movements to find my acceptance.  How warped is that?

So that morning, God basically asked me, “David why are you looking to this person for validation?  Who cares what people think?  Are you living for their approval or for your progress?”

Before I could finish the 400m run, I was like, “Wow God – guilty as charged.”  What I realized pretty quickly is this is exactly what we do in our Christian walks too.  We look to those around us and try to validate our walks based on where we stack up. We are always trying to measure up, and as long as we feel like people think we measure up, we are content.  Problem is: this is not what God has called us to.  In fact, the Scripture demands holiness.  Holiness is simply not being a little better than the next person – holiness is only found in God alone.  He is the standard – not humanity.  When we are simply satisfied with pulling out our measuring cups and comparing, we are not progressing towards Christ and this is sin. 

So as I processed through this I realized that comparison had begun to steal my joy.  The fact of the matter is that no matter how fast or how strong or how toned I get, there will always be someone who is ahead of me – someone faster, someone stronger, someone who looks better.  I didn’t start CrossFit to be the best.  I started and have continued CrossFit to progress in my fitness journey.  So to it is with Christ…if we are honest with our walk with the Lord, there will always be someone more spiritual, more knowledgeable, more loving, and more like Christ.  We didn’t start following Christ to be the best – Christ is the best.  We started and are continuing to become more and more like Christ – He is the standard and it’s His glory we are after.

So in redefining success for Crossfit, I have learned to look at PROGRESS.  I have begun questioning myself, how have I progressed as a whole and how have I progressed with certain movements?  The reality is that I cannot do any movement half as good as some people, but I sure can do them better than when I started.  During my first month of CrossFit I tried to do a pull-up – it was an utter failure – I wasn’t even close to doing one.  Thankfully there exists resistant bands and using the largest one, I could complete some pull-ups.  I then remember trying to learn how to perform a kipping pull-up and that was humorous for everyone present.  Fast forward to today, and I can complete strict pull-ups with no band.  Obviously losing several pounds helps, but it truly was a progression.  It wasn’t like one day I couldn’t do pull-ups and then suddenly I could.  Instead it has been a process - the process leads to progress.

CrossFit has taught me the value of progress.  Suddenly success isn’t trying to beat everyone at the workout – it is committing to do my best, day in and day out, and to commit to the process.  I compare myself to myself and see that there is progression.  I get better and stronger each day and that is a measure of success in CrossFit.   Perhaps many of us would benefit greatly with this thinking in our spiritual lives.   The successful Christian life should not be defined by comparing ourselves to others – for in that we will always fall short of the true standard.  Instead, we should seek to progress in our walk toward Christ.  As we grow closer to Him, He transforms us, and hopefully who we are today is somewhere closer to Christ than when we started.  Instead of defining the wellness of our spiritual life by what we do, perhaps we should begin defining it by how we are growing in love toward others or we growing in our love for God. 

May our minds capture a picture of the holiness of God and squash our attempts to match up with comparison and may this vision catapult us to a progression in our walk with God so that we are becoming more and more conformed to the image of Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”