(Please say no.) Is it just me, or does anyone else have a difficult time making physical fitness a real priority in their life? I used to work out at least five-six days a week, for several hours at a time. Now, if I somehow manage to get in several hours a month I feel like superwoman!
I recently started going back to the gym (it’s been almost nine years!!), and decided to sign up for a Fitness Assessment. I wanted to see plainly, in black-and-white, what my strengths were, and what areas I needed to work on. I won’t keep you in suspense. It was BAD. I am skinny, so everyone just naturally assumes that I am really fit, flexible, and fast. Not so. My very best score was “average.” (Hopefully, I am making some of you feel really good about yourselves right about now.) The rest of my results were “Fair,” and “Poor.” (For an over-achiever like myself, ”average,” “fair” and “poor” are pretty hard to swallow.)
All I wanted to do was go back to the house, put my stretchy pants on, and eat lots of some chocolate while curled up on the couch. (It wasn’t quite that bad…but, close.) I realized though, that I had a choice; I could either be devastated and down on myself, or I could be grateful for the opportunity to see what needed improving, and make the necessary changes to experience more health and wholeness.
I thought about the whole experience a lot over the next few days, and realized that all of us find ourselves in the same situation from time to time. (Probably more often than we like.)
We get assessed. Something happens, and we get to see, plain-as-day, exactly what’s inside our hearts and minds-either good or not-so-good. We find out what areas we have made great strides and progress in, and what areas still need our Father’s gentle forming.
Proverbs 27:19 says; “As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.” NIV The Hebrew word for “the heart” here is “leb” which also includes your inner man, mind, will, and understanding. Another scripture; Proverbs 23:7, says; “…what he thinks is what he really is.” GNT
What we think and believe about ourselves and God, determine who we are, and how we act.
He loves you. Don’t doubt that for even one moment. He wants us to have full, joyful, fruitful, blessed lives in Him. When we are allowed clarity to see an area that is not where it should be, we have the opportunity to go to God, and ask Him to change what we think and believe in that area.
I really believe that God allowed me to see that “assessments“, though not usually fun, are necessary, and can be embraced and used to encourage us and challenge us forward.
I want to leave you with one last scripture, then a couple of quick questions to ponder on.
Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behaviors and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” NLT (emphasis mine.)
The next time you have an “assessment,” ask yourself a few questions:
1. How do I see God?
2. How do I see myself?
3. What am I thinking/believing in this area?
4. What is the truth (God’s Word) that I need to start believing/thinking/telling myself?
We are all in this together, and we should all be challenging and encouraging one another to right believing. Be encouraged today, and remember that His thoughts toward you are always “…to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11