Weekly Athletic-Themed Bible Study: Refuse to Partner with Those Who Reject What You Value.
Currently, I am paying the price for teaming up with others who don't move the way I move. Being that I am an aging basketball trainer who not only loves fitness but needs to have the proper fitness routine to do my job, who I work out with is important.
Since moving back to Denver, I was invited to work out with a group of guys every day at noon. This was an awfully nice gesture and much appreciated. Since it would save me money since I did not have to pay, along with the fact that I don't like to work out by myself, I decided to take them up on their invitation.
While I am appreciative, I have discovered they are not on the same page and do not possess the same workout character I had developed as it relates to their commitment to fitness. Because we aren't on the same page, and fitness is not as important to them, they often cancel or change the time of the workouts at the last minute, spend more time laughing and joking than actually gettin' to it, and often only work on what they want to work on - meat-head workouts where they only work out chest, bi's and tri's, and not what's needed. This resulted in inconsistent and sporadic workouts with little to no planning and only having one leg day a week. And as anyone committed to fitness knows that is a cardinal sin because fitness rule number one is to never skip leg days!
While I was able to save money and I was not lonely, the results of working out with this group took its toll. Aesthetically speaking, my muscle definition began to evaporate. Specifically (and please don't judge me because I'm shallow) because of the lack of production and the avoidance of ab and core exercises, my once shredded six-pack was now gone! More importantly, because of the lack of committed programming and the frequent skipping of leg days, I began to have knee problems because my tendonitis flared up due to the weakening of my quads.
Because of my knee problems, it prevented me from training to the best of my abilities on the basketball court. Fortunately for me, I have recognized the negative impact of working out with those who aren't on the same level (of commitment) as I am and made the necessary changes. Those changes called for me to be willing to:
1) Pay a more expensive price.
2) Be willing to work out by myself or, before working out with a group, first ensure they are on the same page as I am when it comes to fitness.
As you navigate through life committed to fulfilling all the assignments God has for us, we need to hold on tightly to this Jim Rohn quote: "It's important to learn from your mistakes, but it is BETTER to learn from other people's mistakes, and it is BEST to learn from other people's successes. It accelerates your own success."
Learn from both my failure - moving forward with those who weren't on the same page as I was. And my success - caring enough to make the changes needed to ensure I reach my desired goal.
Keep the main thing the main thing - While my fitness goals are a priority in my life, they are not THE PRIORITY. THE PRIORITY in my life, as well as yours if you are a committed follower of Jesus, is to live a life of service that honors Him in all you do.
Since that's the case, we must consider these two verses:
1 Corinthians 15:33 - New Living Translation: Don't be fooled by those who say such things, for "bad company corrupts good character."
2 Corinthians 6:14 - Living Bible: Don't be teamed with those who do not love the Lord, for what do the people of God have in common with the people of sin? How can light live with darkness?
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 - The Message: Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? ...So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you.
2 Corinthians 6:14 - New King James Version: Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
As we apply these verses, let's go back to my fitness experience. While I had established elite workout character, had the right mindset, and was willing to put in the work, my results were not what I desired or needed. The reason being was that the group's mediocre, unmotivated, and inconsistent company corrupted my committed character (Think 1 Corinthians 15:33).
As I look back, I should have never worked out with them in the first place. While it was not expensive, and I was not by myself, it was not worth compromising my end goal, which is what happened. Like I said, I learned the hard way not to partner with those that reject what I value (Think 2 Corinthians 6:14). With that said, my hope is that you will learn the easy way and apply it to your faith walk and establish a spiritual standard that demands you to not partner with those that reject what you value - your Lord and Savior, Jesus.
*It's worth noting that prior to moving back to Denver that I'd workout with others. The difference was, those in my workout groups in Dallas - my fit fam (Chris, Kendall, Bo, Wes, Lawson, Byron, and McKenzie) were just as committed to fitness as I was - equally yoked - 2 Corinthians 6:14. When I transitioned to Denver, I assumed that all "fit-fam" were about that life, but learned the hard way that wasn't the case.
Declarations and questions to ponder:
I won't be cheap; I will pay the price. - As it relates to my faith walk, I will pay whatever price I need to live the way God called me to live. What is the price of doing it God's way? What is the price of being "cheap" and avoiding the cost of doing it God's way?
I will not compromise God's calling on my life even if I have to move by myself. - To reach my fitness goals, I had to be committed to moving by myself. You may be required (temporarily) to do the same; if that was the case, would you be willing to?