Squat Spotting!

This last weekend at church our pastor was referring to a passage that I have held on to in times of struggle.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
^10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

I always thought it reassuring that God does not always desire us to get out of our temptation! Not because I don't want to succeed but because somethings in life are just so pickn hard to get through! Selfishness, pride, arrogance, just to name a few! But as Pastor Rick was sharing he brought up the image of lifting weights. Particularly doing a squat! I immediately was able to relate. The pressure and strain of having large amounts of weight on your shoulders is exactly what temptation is like for me! Temptation seems to be digging into my traps, begging me to give in and let go! But, God steps in as my spotter! If i ASK!

See in the gym i think every guy struggles with the idea of asking someone for a spot. It is humbling to ask someone to catch you if you fail, to admit you may be to weak to do what you are trying to do! But the ironic thing about getting spotted is that often you find that you are able to do more than you think you can!

But with the spot for a squat there is very little spotting. The spotter is behind you....actually in a very awkward position ready to gently support your back! They don't even help you lift the weight! You do it!

Check out this video if you've never seen it or done it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAMu6Lmz2qg

(If it didn't connect you just paste in in your browser)

I think that this is how God works with us! He wants us to work hard at overcoming our temptations! But the whole time he is there giving us the support we need so that we can overcome. We need to humble ourselves and ask him for help. Then we will be able to stand up and be victorious over the temptation that is bearing down on us!

A.W. Tozer is the Man

I read a little Tozer and he reminded me of something so many of us need to be reminded of! We all struggle with our value and what gives us significance. But is in our search we often find significance in our things or accomplishments. Tozer reminds us that everyone is insignificant untill they have an encounter with our creator! Then our relationship to him is resoted through belief that his son paid the ransom for us!

If you are a beliver, YOU ARE SIGNIFICANT! Not becuase I or any other person thinks you are but because God values you!

Think about the most INCREDIBLE thing you have ever seen............................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................

Thats how God sees you!


You are significant!

Sin is so WEIRD!

This morning I was getting coffee with a friend and we were talking about sin! It is so weird because it is something that is a part of our DNA. We can’t get rid of it! But we think that by our own efforts we can overcome! What! If this was true we would not need Christ!

We came to the conclusion that pride lets us think that we have, or can overcome sin. Paul reminds us in Romans 7 that the best of us will always fight sin! It’s about time we do what we know we need to. We need to surrender, humble confess to God our need for him and rely on him! Giving him the praise and going to him daily asking for his perspective, strength and perseverance.

He's waiting for us to be more than conquerors! It's time for us to surrender to the only one who can give us victory!

Romans 8:33-38 (Phillips NT)
^8:33 Who would dare to accuse us, whom God has chosen? The judge himself has declared us free from sin. Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us! ³⁴³⁵ Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, pain or persecution? Can lack of clothes and food, danger to life and limb, the threat of force of arms? Indeed some of us know the truth of the ancient text: 'For your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter'. ³⁷ No, in all these things we win an overwhelming victory through him who has proved his love for us.
³⁸ I have become absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch of earth, neither what happens today nor what may happen tomorrow, neither a power from on high nor a power from below, nor anything else in God's whole world has any power to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord!

The Beauty in You!

As I look outside, at the -1 degree weather and the snow drenched landscape I am reminded of God's complete beauty. Not just His beauty in the things that I find to be beautiful but the beauty in all of his creation. In a culture that defines beauty by size, weight or symmetry we need to be counter-cultural! We need to be an activist! Not the kind of activism that is displayed by yelling and telling others how they need to change! We need to love them and remind them of their beauty, just like Christ did.

So often we like to quote Romans 1 to tell people that there is a God and it is evident through creation! But we forget that we are that same creation. People should be able to look at us, see how we live, and see God's beauty.

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
^2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.