I Just Want to Get Better!

(This is the second in my ‘What the Church can learn from CrossFit’ series)

A couple weeks ago, I graduated to the big kids weights.

Or at least it felt that way to me.

I was doing the strength portion of a class at my Crossfit box (gym – the awesome CrossFit ReVamped – you should come join me! http://www.crossfitrevamped.com/) and instead of loading my bar up with tens or the occasional 15 pound plate, I proudly placed a 25 pound plate on either side of my bar.

Then I added another ten and a fiver on either side of that.

Right after I power cleaned that 100 pound bar (a new PR for me), I stood back to admire the fat stack of weights on either side.

I’d admired those fat stacks on other people’s bars for months now – jealous of how much weight they moved around. But here I was, no longer so weak I had to worry I might break the plates when dropping a bar because they were so thin and flimsy.

That’s when it hit me – I’m getting better.

I’m stronger.

Much stronger.

Still not as strong as others in the gym, nor as strong as I can be.

But I’m making progress.

And that’s freaking awesome!

And I wish it were that way more often in the church.

It seems to me that few people show up in a church community because they want to get better.

Worse yet, the markers by which we can determine they are getting better seem to be few too.

Most churches count things like attendance in worship and times a person has come to the communion table.

Those markers don’t seem to be able to measure how much a person’s life has been transformed.

Which makes me think that perhaps it’s time we begin to emphasize the fruits of the spirit a bit more.

How many times have you been able to forgive somebody for what they’ve done to you? Or are you repeatedly yelling at the drivers who cut you off in traffic or your dogs for constantly getting under your feet?

How much joy do you have in your life? Is it more today or less?

Are you patient with your kids who constantly ask if they can go down the toy aisle at the grocery store or want to buy all the candy in the store?

Is your life filled with love?

Can you see improvement in your life since joining the church or does it seem to be stuck where you entered the church?

Are you here to get better – to get stronger – more patient and kind and gentle?

Or are you here out of some sort of social order and complain when you don’t like the hymns or the way things are done?

Because let’s face it, God is about transformation and it’s awfully hard to be transformed if we’re not going to put in some work.