What I Learned about Discipleship at the Gym

I don't like going to the gym.  Now, I don't mind work, and I get sweaty and tired fairly often, but that's usually from working in the garden or something else productive, as opposed to running in place on a treadmill. Then too, I get intimidated by the people at the gym who look in much better condition than I.  But I've realized that working out looks a lot like being a disciple of Jesus. How's that?


When we exercise, our muscles are stressed, the blood flows through them, and the cells are worked more heavily than usual. Some technical things happen, after we recover from the effort, that make the muscles, bones and ligaments stronger. There are other health benefits too. But you and I don't make those internal workings happen! We only do the external work, and the inner workings of our bodies respond and do all the unseen work that gives us the benefit.

When we 'work out' spiritually, we present ourselves before the Lord in prayer, in reading his word and materials written by some of his servants, and we pursue being close with him in many other ways. There are many different spiritual tools we can use, for different situations and for our own personalities, just as a good gym has many different workout tools for different needs. And when we 'exercise our spiritual muscles' by using the different tools, our spiritual health is improved. We are able to hear God more fully, follow him more and "think like Jesus" as one author says.

Do these results happen because we reach down inside our own spiritual person and form ourselves in the image of Christ? Not really! We don't have that capacity, but the Lord does. As we present ourselves before him in the different disciplines, he is the one who starts opening our minds, strengthening our understanding, sharpening our spiritual hearing, and changing our character. We don't form ourselves "into the image of Christ for the sake of others" as one author describes it; that is done to us and for us and in us by the Holy Spirit, as we 'report for duty.'

The mysterious inner workings of the Holy Spirit don't happen in us by our effort. But as we "live in the Kingdom" every day, we are inviting him to create those spiritual results in us. So if we want more results, we'll want to present ourselves for his work every day, and in fact, every minute of every day.

What are you doing to let him work in you today?