I've been watching a lot of Strongman lately. I guess it's because once I get my girls to bed there is....no one else for me to consider. So, for one-two blessed and glorious hours, I can do whatever I want.
Anyway, you ever seen it? Giant men lifting giant things? It's pretty entertaining (at least for me) and extremely impressive (for anyone).
The other night I was watching a re-run of the 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic. The particular event was the Elephant Bar Deadlift (an abnormally long bar so that it can fit all the weight on it). Hafthor Bjornsson (aka "The Mountain" in Game of Thrones) won the event with a seemingly easy (to him!) lift of 1026lbs.
He went on to win the competition fairly easily. But he's got a fascinating story. The 6'9", 400+ pound Icelander started his athletic career as a Basketball player. After breaking his foot several times, he switched to the sport of Strongman and, with proper training, eventually went on to break multiple National and World Records.
There was a time when he could not deadlift 1000 lbs. Now he can. How'd he do it? He trained. But the training didn't involved just lifting more weights (though he did that). It involved diet and rest and recovery. It required him to rearrange his entire life.
Now, permit me to ask a question. Can you, at this moment, lift half of what he lifts? What about a quarter of what he lifts? Let's say, though, that was your goal. How would you do it? You'd have to train for it right? Surely we all recognize how impossible it would be to just try harder. You might approach the barbel but if you haven't trained your body to get stronger, there is no way you'd be able to lift the weight - no matter how hard you tried.
But - and this for me is the amazing part - change is possible. You just need to train.
We recognize this to be true for physical things don't we? It's so intuitive it's almost unquestioned...running a marathon? You better train. Want to play the guitar? You better take some lessons.
But what if you want to be a more patient person? A more loving person? A more generous person?
"Well....just try harder!"
Or, we take the opposite approach: "You can't really change. So don't bother! You do you!"
Consider these words from the Apostle Paul to his young apprentice, Timothy: "rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:7–10, NIV)
"Godliness" or having a character that is growing to become like that of Jesus, does not happen by accident. It is an incredible gift of grace, but it does require effort...it requires training on your part. It's not miserable nor is it awful. But it will take a bit of work....just like any other kind of training.
For years, I was stuck in cycles of negative thoughts, guilt, and shame. I wanted to have freedom and wholeness in different areas of my life: both in thought, word, and deed. But I was struggling. Take patience for example: no matter how hard I tried to be more patient, something would eventually set me off. And if I did the opposite and just quit trying, I was still no more patient.
Personally, the lightbulb went off when I was introduced to these words by Dallas Willard: "My central claim is that we can become like Christ by doing one thing - by following him in the overall style of life he chose for himself. If we have faith in Christ, we must believe that he knew how to live. We can, through faith and grace, become like Christ by practicing the types of activities he engaged in, by arranging our whole lives around the activities he himself practiced in order to remain constantly at home in the fellowship of his Father." (The Spirit of the Disciplines)
In this particular time of year when so often we set goal and agendas and plans for the coming year, it's worth considering the genuine change to human character that is made possible through the Gospel. It's not about following a program or simply trying harder or being better...it's about gently rearranging your life around Jesus and His Kingdom. This is the primary meaning of discipleship: that we would be students of Jesus and his way of living.
Friends, change is possible. It will sometimes be very gradual and there will likely be setbacks, but steady and consistent growth really can happen for you.
Over the next several weeks, we'll likely develop this theme a bit, but for today, I think it's enough to keep that vision in our minds - change really is possible. Whatever you may be struggling with - perhaps your own cycles of negative thoughts, guilt, and shame - remember that God loves you more than you can imagine...just as you are. He doesn't love the future, cleaned up version of you. He just loves you! And he knows your flaws. His invitation is for you to find freedom and life and wholeness in relationship with him.
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