My Beautiful Mess

Yesterday I blogged about ignoring God’s warning signs when they are clearly given to us and instead just doing what we want to do even though we know we shouldn’t- I think theologically speaking, we could call those the “sins of commission”. Then there are the “sins of ommission”, knowing what you need to do to be obedient to God and yet deliberatly choosing not to do them. So…not to make my excercise routine all “spurchul” on ya (that is Okie for “spiritual”), but I had another thought during my Core Secrets workout this morning.

When the excercise-teaching-man on the DVD is telling me how to do some of the exercises, he often warns against “co-contracting”, meaning to watch out for gripping the weights too hard or not keeping your shoulders relaxed etc. He says we get “tempted to co-contract because it is our body’s anticipation of pain.” Interesting…because I think, at times when God is asking me to take a risk, make a change, surrender more of myself, I believe I tend to “co-contract”, anticipating the pain I will feel in having to sacrifice even more. Poor me!

We live in a society that is not comfortable with pain. Doctors can prescribe a great variety of meds to keep us from feeling pain. And what do we think is going on with all of the drug and alcohol abuse, divorce, pornagraphy, etc we are seeing today? People trying to not feel pain. Even as Christians, we may want to give only if it doesn’t stretch the budget, serve only if I can be home in time for the game, particpate until someone notices me and, oh my gosh, might ask me to do something that would be such an inconvenience.

But if I could learn, as the really-in-great-shape-teaching-man adivses me to do, relax and breath, I might not do that co-contracting thing. I might learn how to breath in the breath that gives life (Gen. 2:7), allow it to bring me a peace that transcends all understanding (Phil. 4:7), and walk in faith (3 John 1:3). Knowing that I can trust my Teacher to teach me how to do this exercise called life with an end result of a really strong Body, of which I am a critical part. If I don’t learn how to exercise this part, then the Body won’t function as well as it could.

From 1 Corinthians 12:
27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire[e] the greater gifts.
And now I will show you the most excellent way.

Forget the pain! He promised we would have it anyway, didn’t he (John 15:18-20)? I want to learn how to live in the most excellent way! Don’t you?