April 14, 2009

Get real... and then get going!

  Recently I decided to start working out for the first time in a long time. I can tell you that I am WAY outta shape. It was a hard fact for me to swallow, but I am not the athlete I used to be when I was 20. 

Basically I had to come to grips with the fact that I cant run 7 minute miles, I can't bench 245lbs 8 times, I can't be 20 year old Norm anymore. I Can't... So I had to reprogram my brain to honestly appraise my physical situation to 30 year old Norm...

In the book Good to Great I discovered that in order for companies, people, anything really to get from "good" to "great" there first needs to be an honest appraisal of where you are at now. This idea is applicable on so many levels. I started to think about this in my spiritual life. How many times do I think I should be like Paul, or for a more recent example, Francis Chan, Shane Claiborne or Steven Furtick, etc? 

I really believe that God is teaching me that I need to take MY next step. Just like in working out, there is no way you can go from a level one cardio class to a 3hour spinning class in two days. *(Now let me make a quick remark here. God may choose to catapult you into the next level in one day because He can do what He wants, but in my personal experience we have to take one step at a time, day after day. i.e. being faithful in the small/everyday things b4 the big) 

So in the working out thing I am basically starting from square one. But, realizing this was the best thing that ever happened. I am not kicking myself every second for not being 20yr old Norm. As far as I am concerned that guy never existed. I need to focus on where I am at now and where I need to go. 

Same thing with Christ. I just want to take one step closer to Him today. I want to be faithful with today and press on to the goal. Will you ask God to help you have an honest appraisal today?