Making Time, Not Excuses

I'm sure you have heard the saying, "You'll never have time for anything. If you want something, you make time for it." It drove me crazy the first few times, I heard it. Not because I didn't know it to be true, but because I wasn't ready to admit that, when it came to certain things, I was better at making excuses than time. Since I was not ready to swallow this little nugget of wisdom, it tasted very bitter - it ranked right up there with one of my dad's favorite quotes, "almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." He was great at tossing that gem out there during games of one-on-one in basketball.
Me: "Ah! That shot almost went in!" or "I almost beat you!"
Dad (his Sam Elliot voice not missing a beat): "Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."
It's a great quote and, truth be told, I've used it myself numerous times, but it's not one the receiver always enjoys hearing. Similarly, I was not always fond of the reminder that time must be made.

Fourteen years ago, a good friend and I communicated via email almost daily. If two days passed without a communication from him, I would wonder if something was wrong. He was away at college, and had recently refocused on his relationship with Christ. He was on fire for Jesus! Every one of his emails were full of joy and examples of how Christ was working in his life. One day, I was expressing my admiration of his dedication to studying the word of God, how I noticed such an incredible change in him and his energy since he had made that commitment, and how "I wished I could do the same." At that time, my dear friend spoke truth to me that I needed to hear, but was not yet ready to accept. He pointed out that I didn't have to "wish," I could make the choice myself to be active in my relationship with Christ. He firmly, but kindly, informed me that if I truly wanted to make a change, I would ACT on it and stop just talking about it... Ouch! It took me a while to reply to him after that. In fact, our daily correspondence experienced a very big lull while I nursed my wounded pride. I knew he was right. But I wasn't ready to hear it, so I made more excuses.

I see people do this all the time regarding their physical health, too. They watch the runner on the trail from a booth at a nearby fast-food restaurant and wish they could be like the runner. Rather than throwing away the value meal and getting out on that trail to go for a walk, they take another gulp of their super-sized soda. I hear people say, "I want to get in shape, but it's just too much work ... I like fried foods and sweets way too much ... I just don't have the time." And that last excuse is true. You don't have time for anything. You have to make time for the things and people you care about. If you truly want to see a change in your physical health, you have to choose to make the time to focus on it.

Just as we have to choose to make the time to care for our physical bodies, be it through preparing healthy meals or taking part in physical activity, we have to choose to make time to devote to our spiritual health as well. As Paul explains in 1 Timothy 4:8, "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life, and the life to come."

My willingness to accept that truth didn't just occur overnight. It has been, and still is, a lengthy process; however, at some point I decided my friend was right. I had to make a choice to commit and be an active part of my relationship with Christ. I have to make time for God. Instead of giving into 20 more minutes of sleep, a sink full of dirty dishes, or a pile of laundry that seems to be steadily growing with each passing minute, I need to choose to set that time aside to study His word, pray, worship, or just be still and sit in awe of His mercy and grace.

As I said, this is a lengthy process for me, and one with which I still struggle. Sometimes, I would love nothing more than to lose myself in a mindless television show. There are many days that the soft, fluffy pillows on the couch beckon my name, and I am so tempted to answer their call, close my eyes, and sleep. Thankfully, our church's recent studies in Proverbs make it a little easier to say no to those enticing pillows - Proverbs 6:10-11 to be exact - but it is still a choice I have to make every day.

Many times, I find the excuse I struggle with the most is that of needing to work out. "I haven't been able to go for a run or work out in two days! If I don't do it today, I'm going to go crazy!" I tell myself that, and choose working out over spending time alone with God. Don't get me wrong, physical exercise is important, but it should never take precedent over our relationship with Christ. After all, what good is it for a person to be in perfect physical shape, but have insides wrought with worry and fear because they neglect the One who can offer them peace and joy? In fact, I have discovered that the more I choose God, the better I feel and the easier it is to make the right choice. The more we drink of his wisdom, love, and mercy, the more we thirst for it, making it all the more desireable to pick up the Bible or hit our knees in prayer, and immerse ourselves in His grace.

1 Corinthians 9:24-26 says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air."

Let us not run aimlessly through this life. Let's make a choice to make time for God. 

Running Through Life

Yesterday, I ran the Wounded Warrior Half Marathon in Las Colinas. I'd completed a full marathon before, but that was in 2009, so I knew I had some training to do. After registering for the Half, my workload tripled. Boot camps increased, there were extra hours at my full-time job, and I wasn't able to get in all of the training that I had planned. In fact, I could only get in my long runs on the weekend, wasn't able to run any during the week, and the longest run I got in during my training was an 8 miler. So, I was not expecting to do well at the Wounded Warrior. My goal at that point, was just to get across the finish line.

The morning of the run, as I was driving to the race site, I felt nervous anticipation creeping in. Rather than allowing my nerves to consume me, I prayed. I just talked to God the entire way and asked him to sustain me through the run, and thanked him for the ability to run. I went in fully expecting to walk at least part of the course because of my lack of training. So, I was surprised when I passed mile marker 8, was still feeling very strong, and had not even thought about walking once. I even laughed a little. I laughed and thanked Jesus for running with me, and knew that he was going to run with me all the way.
Then, shortly after I passed mile marker 10, the recurring stress fracture in my ankle started acting up. I could feel my ankle swelling, and the pain was bad enough to get an audible reaction out of me, but with only three more miles to go, I wasn't about to give in. I prayed for strength to endure the pain and just keep going. Fairly soon after that, I felt a tingling sensation at that spot in my ankle, and it felt as though I didn't have control over that foot anymore - as though the ankle and foot were disconnected. It was a pretty bizarre sensation, and for a moment I wondered if my ankle was going to support my weight through the rest of the run. But I was determined to either finish, or fall on my face trying. (I can be somewhat stubborn.) However, somewhere between the first onset of the pain and mile 11.5, after the bizarre tingling and disconnect, it started to subside. I was able to run without limping anymore, and felt strong enough to really kick it into gear and stride it in on the last stretch to the finish. It was challenging, there were some tough hills, a really strong wind, and quite a bit of rain, but by the grace of God, I finished - and with a better time than I
anticipated.
Oh, and the sudden alleviation of the ankle pain? After the fact, I learned that at 9:15 a.m., my dad asked his congregation to say a silent prayer for me. That would have been right around the time, that the pain started subsiding.
Before the run, I was anxious about running alone. I was nervous about even driving out there alone. God reminded me in many ways throughout the morning, that I was, and am, never alone.
Never doubt that God is with us through it all. He runs with us every day - when our bodies are starting to rebel, when our pain (emotional and physical) seems insurmountable, when the fear is overwhelming, when all we want to do is quit - he is there. He sustains us through it all, and carries us when we are too weak to hold ourselves up. On the other side of that, he rejoices with us in our celebrations. He cheers when we succeed where we never thought possible. Through all of our races - physical or metaphorical - he is our rock, our everlasting life coach, our infinite cheering section, our greatest supporter lifting us up, encouraging us, guiding us onto the finish line.

Training for Spiritual Fitness

Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important for it promises a reward in both this life and the next. This is true and everyone should accept it. 1 Timothy 4:8

This is it. This is why I started the page Refining Fitness. Not because I want to preach at people. Not because I think I'm better than anyone. For the reason Paul gives us above.

Physical fitness has value. And I do believe that taking care of these physical bodies God has given us is an act of stewardship. I believe we can and do glorify him in our bodies. It's one of the reasons I desire to stay fit. I don't want to give into gluttony and laziness. However, as I've said before, no matter how toned we are, true happiness and peace shines from within. That is because it can only come from a relationship with Christ, and a "relationship" with Christ, just as with anyone else, takes two. 

I once heard a manager I worked for say, "All I have to do is say, 'God forgive me before I die,' and I'm good," when he was talking about the way he lived his life. I didn't say anything, but I thought to myself, "I hope you get that chance." There are many people who have this mindset, and I somewhat understand their thought process. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that it is not by any work of our own hands that we are saved, but by grace alone - the grace of God our Father. Some people read this and take it to mean, I can live my life any way I want and as long as I believe in Christ, I will be saved. I won't dispute that. I will just offer my own experience from my personal walk with Christ.

When I truly understood what He had given up for me; when I grasped that He gave his life for me, endured immense suffering, was nailed to a cross, and then defeated death so that I may have eternal life, I changed. I mean, how can you not change with the magnitude of that realization and acceptance? I immediately wanted to live a life worthy of that love and sacrifice. Not because I think I have to earn it. I don't! It's done. I want to live a life worthy of Christ's love because it is the least I can do after what He did for me.

But, I'm not perfect - far, far from it actually, as I'm sure those of you who know me can attest. I get tired, and I choose sleep or television over reading my Bible. I get angry and say things I shouldn't say, do things I shouldn't do. I pass judgment on others. I pass judgment on myself and then wallow in my failures. I become discouraged and sad when things in this world go bump, and leave an awful tragic mess behind. I sometimes start to lose my grasp on that eternal hope he offers, and find it difficult to be thankful. This is why I need - why we all need - to practice our spiritual fitness even more so than our physical fitness.


The more time I spend in the scriptures, the more time I spend in prayer, the thirstier I get for the soul-quenching, life-giving water He offers. My days are filled with more peace and joy when I make time to delve into His word and spend precious time with Him in prayer. When I am singing praise to Him, be it in church or in the middle of my kitchen, there is a stirring in my heart and I can't keep from smiling. Sometimes, I even cry happy tears because I'm so overwhelmed by His love. Spending time with Him, studying the scriptures - using our time and energy to train ourselves for spiritual fitness - not only teaches us how to live in this world, it enables us to live joyfully in this world. 

So yes, while I don't recommend it, you can go through life completely oblivious to all of the blessings he is bestowing on you daily, and wait until the last possible minute to repent and ask for forgiveness, and you will still be welcomed home into the open arms of the Father; OR, you can take an active part in your relationship with Christ and experience the indescribable peace and joy that comes from that intimacy of that relationship. Similarly, you can choose to go through life not taking full advantage of this physical vessel He has given you, and doing your part to keep it healthy; OR you can choose to stay active, take care of yourself, and reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Refining Fitness is meant to be a community where we can encourage one another through our physical and spiritual fitness journeys. When I post reminders about taking the time to notice our blessings every day, and to spend time with the Lord, I am reminding myself as much as anyone else. When the Christian church first started, they met in homes or any place they could find and came together to support one another and share the Gospel. Community is so important. Having other like-minded people with whom to share our struggles, our joys, our cares and concerns is essential in sharing the love of Christ. 

Many of you know that I enjoy running. Running and working out in general is much more enjoyable when you have others doing it with you. So, regarding our physical and spiritual fitness, I leave you with one more thought: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1
Us. Not I and me. We and us. As my childhood pastor, Bob Moon, used to say, "We're all in this together."
Have a beautiful day!