Spiritual Training Cycle: Perspective (wk. 1/13)
January 2013 is a month I will never forget. My business partner and I were coming off a crushing loss. We had developed a new concept for indoor cycling and after working for months to build a studio, create the content, and prepare to tell the world, our dreams were dashed when our financial backers suddenly pulled out. That was a true low in my life. But we refused to let our circumstances keep us down. Instead, we decided to pivot our business model to focus on CrossFit, which meant opening our own gym. In the same month, my wife started searching for a church she and the kids could be a part of. Little did I know that faith and fitness were about to collide in my life and take me places I never even knew were possible. It was a genesis point.
The word genesis means the origin or coming into being of something. Genesis is all about beginnings. And that’s exactly what was happening to me. I was beginning a faith journey. It would start with getting the courage to walk in a church on Sunday morning. I was beginning CrossFit. Not just as an athlete, but also as a gym owner and coach. Each week introduced me to new experiences. New goals and milestones. New people who would show me more about me than I had ever known. God was doing something in my life. And all those little somethings can be summarized in one word – good.
Good is also the theme of God’s creation story in the opening two chapters of the book of Genesis. It is God’s eternal existence and His creation of the world that set the stage for what I think is arguably the best book in the Bible. When people want to know more about God or faith, I don’t point them to church. I point them to Genesis. And while 50 chapters might feel a little daunting, don’t be intimidated. In fact, maybe start with these videos from The Bible Project that provide a great illustration of the book and its key points in just 15 minutes.
We are in our own genesis point this month as we look at four aspects of the first book of the Bible: (1) Creation; (2) God’s greatest creation; (3) How things got the way they are; And (4) What God is doing about it. As we walk through the next four weeks, perhaps you’ll recognize some genesis points in your life. Some of you may be in one right now! I believe that when we look for the goodness that’s in all of God’s creation, it helps us see the world with new perspective. And that may be just the beginning you’ve been looking for.
Questions for Reflection:
Describe a genesis point in your life.
What characteristics of God do these verses reveal to you?
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