Spiritual Training Cycle: Connection (wk. 1/13)
You may be familiar with the old cliche that states, “everything in moderation,” which preaches the idea that we should avoid having too much of any one thing. There is a limit to quantity in our earthly lives. You may also be familiar with the label on pharmaceutical drugs that states, “side effects may occur;” which admits a potential limit to quality. We know these phrases to be true because we’ve all witnessed the consequences of having ‘too much’ of a good thing and then experienced the ‘side effects.’ However, when we think of the principles of limitation and moderation in light of our spiritual experiences, we find the opposite to be true. We know our God in Heaven is infinite in both quantity and quality. When we pursue a life of God’s promises, we get to trade the finite for the infinite!
In fitness, when we maximize the output of our bodies we also learn about trade-offs. We can optimize for maximum strength for a single repetition. We can optimize for muscle size and lowest body fat percentage. Or we can maximize endurance output for greater use of energy during long exercise. World Strongman competitors are the strongest athletes in the world setting records for amazing feats of strength for max squat and max deadlift. But the average strongman competitor is 30% body fat and isn’t likely to be running any long distances. World class bodybuilders are less than 5% body fat with maximum muscle size (sometimes upwards of 300 lbs of lean mass) but aren’t likely to be running any long distances or setting any records for their lifts. Record holding marathon runners can run impossibly long distances at extremely fast paces but are not high in muscularity or setting records in lifting. While CrossFit attempts to become elite at all things fitness, they are not world record holders at any one thing. Hyper specialization requires trade-offs. We understand these trade-offs and apply them to everything we know in the world.
When we truly believe in God and the promise of Heaven, we are inviting unlimited abundance into our limited world. This means that unlimited love, unlimited grace, and unlimited joy are made available to us through an unlimited God. With God at the center of our lives, we don’t have to trade-off infinite love for infinite grace because both are available simultaneously. With Heaven in mind, we don’t trade-off unlimited love for unlimited joy; both are available. The real trade-off comes in giving up the things of this world that rust and decay to gain the unlimited abundance God has promised us in the life to come.
We witness an example of a trade-off in the Bible story about the rich, young man who asks Jesus the question of the work he must do to gain eternal life. The rich man understands how to work hard. He understands the idea of trading one value for another value. He has been well rewarded for those trades in the past. Jesus knows this about the man and pushes him to seek a deeper pursuit in life than just wealth. Matthew 19:21-22 says:
Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus doesn’t call the man immoral or evil. But He sees the heart of this man and knows money has become his idol. The young man isn’t willing to trade his earthly treasures which will fade and disappear for the treasures of heaven.
After the young man leaves, Jesus continues preaching to the crowd and says in Matthew 19:29:
“And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sister or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.”
Jesus is inviting people to understand that earthly possessions and worldly relationships will fade. Each person must choose to make this trade to receive a greater return on their investment for what awaits them in Heaven.
When we look to maximize our fitness in one area, we often minimize other areas. When we look to maximize our connection to God through Christ we are given an infinite return. Infinite love, infinite grace, infinite joy at the cost of everything finite that we know in this world.
Questions for Reflection:
What is a time where you saw/felt a glimpse of God’s unlimited power & love in your life?
What is something that you struggle giving up or “trading off” for the unlimited nature of God and the promise of Heaven?
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