Last week, I introduced you to four fitness personalities. If you need a refresher, here’s a link to the post. I made the claim that if we change certain habits reflective of our gym personalities, we can sort of reverse engineer how we show up in life. In other words, these habits, though only in the gym, can produce life transformation. It all starts with knowing who you are, and that’s what we took to task last week. You will never realize true transformation without truly understanding who you are. As a Spiritual Fitness Coach, this is where I begin with every athlete.
Personality tests, psychology assessments, even a deep dive into your family of origin, all of this information sharpens your self-awareness. But by itself, it’s insufficient for transformation. Because it only tells one part of the story. You must combine it with God’s story, which is what I’ve done below. Each fitness personality has a Bible verse associated with it. Don’t just skip right to the habits and start trying to apply them. Rather, read the Bible verse first. Then, close your eyes and visualize the verse. What word or theme stood out to you? Then, read it again, but slowly. Like a great meal, take your time to digest each word. Finally, pray that God would help you apply His truth to your life as you develop new habits in the gym. Let’s dive in…
Fitness Personality: Microwave
Old Mindset: Outcomes
New Mindset: Generosity
Scripture: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
New Habit: Be generous in the gym.
Microwaves need new perspective when it comes to fitness, and what better way than to turn the whole gym experience into a quest to be generous. God so loved the world that He gave. It is this spirit of generosity Microwaves need to begin living into. And what greater way to be generous than to give? Start by giving away your space on the mat. Give away compliments and encouragement to your fellow athletes. Give away your timetable for results. Generosity is not an outcome, it’s a way of life. Make every effort in the gym to be generous and watch God open your heart to new things.
Fitness Personality: Darwin
Old Mindset: Winning
New Mindset: Teaching
Scripture: My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
New Habit: Don’t just train your weaknesses, teach others about them.
It may come as a shock to Darwin’s, but they’ve got so much to share with the world. Darwin’s accumulate experience in their quest for greatness. And all those experiences are even more valuable if Darwin’s will share them with others. This means talking about your weaknesses. Weakness isn’t something to be hidden in a closet, it’s not a character flaw, it’s simply part of your story. But I know vulnerability is probably not high on a Darwin’s list of things to do, which is why I want you to teach others your weakness. Teach them about your fear of failure. Teach them that trying to be the best helps you hide your inadequacies. Teach them that you didn’t always have double-under’s or ring muscle ups. Make every trip to the gym a teachable moment. Your weaknesses give God room to demonstrate just how powerful He really is.
Fitness Personality: Nomad
Old Mindset: Belonging
New Mindset: Believing
Scripture: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7
New Habit: Build community
The greatest sense of belonging for a Nomad is when they operate from the belief that they belong to God. This is the starting point Nomad’s need as they carry out their new habit of building community. Who better to build community in the gym than a Nomad? And there’s no better example of a Nomadic community builder than Jesus Himself. Jesus knew He was the Son of God. He felt that deep intimacy and connectedness with the Father. Which gave Him something all Nomad’s need – confidence. Fear and anxiety are the enemies Nomad’s fight in their battle to build confidence. Even with the confidence Jesus had knowing He belonged to God, He still built His community one at a time. He started with one, Andrew. And then Andrew went and got his brother Simon Peter and then John and James came and then the others. Before there was a movement, there was a simple mission. Nomads need the same mission in the gym, confidently connect with others and build your own community.
Fitness Personality: Farmer
Old Mindset: Growth
New Mindset: Grace
Scripture: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. Philippians 2:3
New Habit: Human interest
In a letter to the Roman church, Paul is trying to explain the significance of Christ’s death. He makes the argument that people rarely give up their lives for those who are righteous, so who would want to die for the unrighteous. Paul explains that’s precisely what Jesus did. And Paul uses this word to describe what compels God to show humanity such great love. He uses the word “grace.” Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. It’s what covers our sin, restores our righteousness, and unites all believers in Christ. Grace is what Farmers need most. Certainly, Farmers need God’s grace, but they also need to give grace. Grace is the new mindset for Farmers. So how does a person focused on process develop a focus on people? Simple, take an interest in them. Farmers must be cultivators of human interest. They must appreciate people for who they are, not where they are in the process. Great Farmers will build the habit of getting to know people. This means a dedication to listening, a capacity to retain what you hear, and a heart of compassion for those who will tell you their stories. Humility is the base of operation for a Farmer truly devoted to the nurturing of humanity.
Questions for Reflection:
Have you ever tried to change a habit in the gym to see if it would change how you showed up in life? If so, what were the results?
Talk about the importance of spiritual integration for life transformation. How would you explain this to someone not of faith?