Spiritual Training Cycle: Foundation (wk. 1/13)
In 2020 and 2021, the world saw the rise of the home gym and with it an epidemic of failed lifts, questionable PRs and missed workouts altogether. In the privacy and seclusion of the home gym, one key thing was missing - the spotter. Everyone benefits from being a good spotter and having a good spotter. The same is true for us in church. We “did church” in the home, watching worship and sermons by streaming content online. But we were missing the “spotter” in church. We learned very clearly that church was not a building that we gathered in but the church was the people who gathered in it.
A good spotter gives the comfort and confidence that the lifter can get closer to their absolute one rep max, pushing the upper limits of their ability. A good spotter is a witness to those personal records but also keeps you honest to the integrity of a true personal best. A good spotter can help aid those last few reps to create complete mechanical muscle failure, increasing muscle growth. A good spotter keeps you accountable to do the work because they are also doing the work alongside you. There is beauty in mutual suffering and that mutual suffering brings closeness and connection that doesn’t come from doing the work alone.
You weren’t meant to do the work alone.
In church, we need people to push the upper limits of our abilities. In church, we need people to witness our successes. In church, we need to be surrounded by others doing the work. In church, we need people to keep us accountable to our integrity. In church, we need help in our failures. In church, we experience comfort from others who have also suffered and are able to sit with us in our suffering. In church, we must see the beauty of recognizing our mutual suffering but not stay stuck in the suffering. All these things are done “in church,” but not in the building. These things are done in the connections within the people of the body of the church.
In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church of Corinth, he explains the nature of the church as a body with all parts treated equally.
In 1 Corinthians 12:25-26, “so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”
Mutual suffering pulls us deeper into connection. We must hold ourselves accountable to the way we serve our church body. When one limb suffers, we suffer with it. When one part is successful, we succeed with it. When we believe we must suffer alone, we separate ourselves from the purpose Jesus has for us.
In 1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
There is so much beauty in finding people who celebrate with you in the times of celebration and equal beauty in finding people who willingly sit with us in our struggles. Much like the gym spotter, our church body is present for all the successes and failures and keeps us focused on the meaningful work we are called to do.
Questions for Reflection:
Do you struggle to ask for help?
Describe a time in your life when you tried to do something alone only to find part way through you needed help?
Who has stepped in to help you when you needed it?
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