When I joined a gym and started working out several years ago, I was completely out of my element. I constantly worried about what I was doing. Am I using the machines correctly? Am I going too fast or too slow? Should I add more cardio or more time in the weight room? Or both? Is what I’m doing going to allow me to achieve my goals? I watched other people with rapt attention to see what they were doing. If they looked how I wanted to look, I’d try doing what they were doing.
So what’s the connection between working out and walking The Believer’s Road? For me the two have many parallels. Each has a goal and path that you take to get there. But there is more than one way to go; in fact there are several means to the same end. You can watch what others do and try to emulate them. But you really have to make your own way. What’s right for someone else may not work for you.
It’s easy to become distracted and even discouraged in either endeavor. You can find excuses galore for not working on your body or your spiritual relationships and it’s too easy to stray from your goals. You may feel like you’re not getting where you need to be quickly enough or maybe that you’ll never arrive. If you aren’t seeing or feeling results, it can be difficult to get motivated to continue.
The strongest link for me has been the realization that what I get back is closely tied to the effort I extend. When I’m not seeing results at the gym, and I’m honest with myself, I realize I’ve been phoning in my workouts, or even skipping them altogether. And I feel spiritually drained when I become passive and dis-engaged from my faith walk.
Walking the Believer’s Road is not a spectator sport. The Lenten Season always gives me the nudge I need to refocus my efforts. When I pray, study and worship it strengthens my faith. And I get back on track.
Pamela Ottaway Walking the Road
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