No Atrophy in 2010 – Part 2
The Primal Commandment - to love God with all of your heart/soul/mind/strength.
The Primal Challenge – to seek God’s transformation in our lives and in the lives of others by taking on disciplines that will focus us on that.
In Part 1 of this challenge, we have asked men to exercise their minds and develop a holy curiosity by reading through the Bible in 2010. Many of you have communicated that you will do so and there are many others that may be deciding to see what God has in store for them in this quest.
But that is only one part of the equation, albeit a very important and primal one.
The Great Commandment requires all of who we are. Stewardship of the Kingdom requires nothing less.
It requires expending focused energy on Kingdom causes and to train and strengthen the body, a holy temple of God, in order to be willing, able and ready to serve God in so many different ways… and to serve your families in so many different ways.
Many of us might be cars in the garage, waiting for that opportune time to hit the road at the right time and show what we have under the hood. But the longer we wait, the more difficult it is to get that show car out of the garage. As Mark Batterson notes in his book Primal - the old adage of “ready/set/go” is backward. Preparation is important and prayer is a crucial piece of that, but the fact of the matter is that we will never be fully ready. Guys – we will never be fully set. Sometimes, we just need to go for it and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. We need to drive the car.
That car needs to be tuned up. We need to be sure that it has been properly fueled and maintained in order to run at optimal performance.
Men – we need to be in some sort of physical training on a regular basis in order to keep our bodies/minds/souls sharp for Kingdom opportunities that await us in our families, our neighborhoods and our workplaces.
We are not talking body building or glorification of the body for our own egos. Instead, physical training is a powerful reaction and obedience to God in worship – to honor Him by treating our bodies as a holy temple of God. Regular exercise and eating right go a long way in preparing us for the daily battles of life and standing firm against sin.
The second part of the Primal Challenge is to have men involved in a regular routine of exercise and a schedule of healthy eating. For some, that may mean teaming up some other guys to help you set goals and to keep you on that path. Maybe it is some guys that you know go to the same gym. Maybe it is guys in a life group or guys in your kid’s athletic teams that want to do something as a group. Others may need a tangible goal – an end result that they train for. Over the years, many men have used the Peak Challenge as that goal – to be physically fit to climb 14,000 foot mountains in July. If you want to make that your goal – we encourage you to do so. Peak Challenge 2010 is set for July 22-26, 2010 in Lake Dillon. Colorado. Others may use this opportunity to set some fun goals with their kids that may involve completing a bike ride challenge or running a 5K with your kids…. make the challenge your own and own the challenge!
We can point you to some resources that might help you create a simple plan for your situation. Let us know if you need that help. This is not a one size fits all challenge – it is uniquely yours.
Pray about this challenge – understand who you are in terms of physical training and what your body can do – then Go/Set/Ready
The synergy that results from training the body and the mind and releasing the heart and soul is transformation – transformation that God does that creates an impact zone for people around us.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.