One of the ways we determine the fitness of an athlete is how long it takes them to recover, known as time to recovery. It works like this. Let’s say we take two athletes and give them a 15-minute workout of as many rounds as possible of 5 kettlebell swings, 10 box jumps, and 15 pushups. At the end of the workout, they both score the same number of rounds and reps. On paper it may look like they have equal fitness, and they might, so we add a recovery component to each round. We’ll have them repeat the workout with a heart rate monitor, only this time they can’t start the next round until their heart rate gets below 120 beats per minute. The fitter the athlete, the faster the recovery, and thus the more rounds they will be able to do. Great athletes know it’s not only how hard you push, it’s also how fast you recover.
Time to recovery is a great assessment of spiritual fitness as well. Let me give you an example of a spiritual test most of you face every day – driving in traffic. Have you ever wondered why the only good driver on the road is you? Cars whizzing by, drivers cutting in front of you, slamming on breaks, and all of that is making your blood boil. Who knows, you might even say a few choice words or offer a “kind gesture.” Here’s the point: how fast can you spiritually recover? For some of you, you’re not even thinking this way. You’ll carry that anger into your next phone call or Zoom meeting. Some of you will be plotting ways to get back at everyone who’s wronged you. But the more spiritually fit you are, the faster you recover peace and harmony in your life. The more you know who God is, what He’s done, and how you fit into the whole equation, the easier it is to release the tension of life.
I’ve spent years developing and applying this in my spiritual life, and nowhere does it help me more than in relationships, specifically my marriage. Conflict in relationships is inevitable. There’s a 100% chance of you frustrating those close to you and vice versa. So, what’s your time to recovery? Are you going to take that hostility and give it back to them? Are you going to burn their toast “on accident?” Or maybe you’re going to let their words hurt you more than they were intended to do. When your spiritual mindset is on recovery, you learn to let go of things faster. Because your focus isn’t on you, it’s on the power of God’s Spirit working in you. And believe me, there’s a difference.
Questions for Reflection
Is there an area of your life where you need to apply the principle of time to recovery? If so, what is it?
What are some obstacles to developing a faster spiritual time to recovery?
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