I lift weights for “fun” but also to try to stay in some kind of physical shape. One of the problems is that when I am away, I cannot use my weights, but I found online a wonderful substitute for trying to haul heavy weights from place to place. This is how this person does it:
“Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute and then relax. Each day you’ll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags. Then try 50-lb potato bags and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I’m at this level). After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.” I laughed when I read that, but I stopped thinking about weight lifting and thought about how we sometimes we live our lives in this Jesus of the Bible. A lot of time we don’t do the heavy lifting of walking after Christ. We prayed or went forward and even got baptized. But our living our lives as Jesus did…well, not so much. When we talk about it, it might sound really good. But the substance of our Christian lives can often be as empty and lightweight as those potatoless bags as our “weight lifter” bragged about. Jesus doesn’t call us to a life of ease. He said that we had to carry our cross and then follow him. That’s heavy lifting. It means that the culture has no claim on you, that you look to Jesus alone for direction, morality and what is right and wrong. And that’s what puts you at odds with the world around you. Not that you make them do that too…you can’t. But when you don’t join them whether by enticement or by threat, you become a danger to their way of thinking and living. But it is worth it. Don’t just proclaim your faith…live your faith. The good news is that there will be some who will see the reality of what you believe by your life, and they may open their hearts to God too. And one more will secure a place in heaven with him. God is not looking for show…he wants the real thing. And you know what? That world out there is looking for something real and honest and good to believe in too. Help make heaven crowded…live out your faith well. And start lifting some real weights! Here’s our Bible verse for today…
1 John 2:3-6 NLT And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. (4) If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. (5) But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. (6) Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
Remember, I’m praying for you today….
PJ
“Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute and then relax. Each day you’ll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags. Then try 50-lb potato bags and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I’m at this level). After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.” I laughed when I read that, but I stopped thinking about weight lifting and thought about how we sometimes we live our lives in this Jesus of the Bible. A lot of time we don’t do the heavy lifting of walking after Christ. We prayed or went forward and even got baptized. But our living our lives as Jesus did…well, not so much. When we talk about it, it might sound really good. But the substance of our Christian lives can often be as empty and lightweight as those potatoless bags as our “weight lifter” bragged about. Jesus doesn’t call us to a life of ease. He said that we had to carry our cross and then follow him. That’s heavy lifting. It means that the culture has no claim on you, that you look to Jesus alone for direction, morality and what is right and wrong. And that’s what puts you at odds with the world around you. Not that you make them do that too…you can’t. But when you don’t join them whether by enticement or by threat, you become a danger to their way of thinking and living. But it is worth it. Don’t just proclaim your faith…live your faith. The good news is that there will be some who will see the reality of what you believe by your life, and they may open their hearts to God too. And one more will secure a place in heaven with him. God is not looking for show…he wants the real thing. And you know what? That world out there is looking for something real and honest and good to believe in too. Help make heaven crowded…live out your faith well. And start lifting some real weights! Here’s our Bible verse for today…
1 John 2:3-6 NLT And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. (4) If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. (5) But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. (6) Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
Remember, I’m praying for you today….
PJ