I had been working out at the gym for more than two years, and as hard as that was, it was something I actually grew to love. Believe it or not, I looked forward to going and working my tail off! I felt so much better and my endurance increased dramatically. But at some point, I hit a wall and it seemed impossible for me to lose any more weight—even though I still had plenty more that needed to go! The pounds dropped quickly at first…then they came off a bit more slowly…then not at all. I reached a point that all dieters fear…the dreaded plateau. I worked with personal trainers, read all the articles, I ate nasty, low-carb, high-fiber, calcium-added wheat bread instead of delicious, bleached-flour, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth white bread…but I still couldn’t seem to get the process moving again!
In discussing this issue with one of my former trainers, he shared with me that 1.) I need to be more diligent about my diet and 2.) my body had probably just gotten used to the routine I was doing; so it’s time to amp it up. I need to come in more often, burn more calories when I’m there, increase the incline on the treadmill, increase the resistance on the elliptical, stay a little longer, push myself a little further. None of this was what I really wanted to hear.
Then I thought of our walk with the Lord.
So, we’ve accepted the Lord as our Savior, then before too long, we start to feel like our spiritual growth is slowing or maybe even stagnate. We’re not as excited about it as we used to be or we’re not hearing from God so much anymore. We feel better than we did before inviting Jesus in, but we’ve hit a plateau. What’s the deal? Well, the Ultimate Personal Trainer (the Holy Spirit) may be trying to tell us that it’s time to amp it up a bit.
First of all, we have to do something about our diet. We need to commit to eating a good, steady diet of the Word. A regular diet of scripture will penetrate our minds and our hearts and the Word will become a living thing in us. If that is not what we are eating, then what kind of junk are we taking in? Are we consuming a bunch of filth and drama from reality television shows and/or movies? Are we ingesting negativity, gossip, and judgment from people who are not exactly good for us to be around? Are we listening to other people tell us what we should do when we should be consulting a higher Authority?
“There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17(MSG)
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” – Romans 15:4
Secondly, our Trainer may tell us it’s time to increase the intensity of our spiritual workout. Pray more radically; get more involved in serving others; forgive someone we’ve been holding a grudge against; do something hard that God’s been telling us to do, but we keep resisting. The Bible tells us that God has given us the ability to do the same kind of things Jesus did while He was here on Earth – and even greater…but what are we really doing?
“Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.” – John 14:11-14 (MSG)
And, finally, we may need to consider just changing-up our routines. As a person does an exercise over and over again, their body begins to recognize what’s up and it becomes almost immune to that activity. In that light, are we praying the same old boring prayers? Are we practicing a religion full of dead, dry rituals and habits or are we feeling fresh and alive when we speak to the Lord, when we fast, or when we serve? Life is not meant to be lived on auto-pilot.
“You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.” – I Corinthians 9:24-27 (MSG)
I challenge each and every one of us… Take a moment to honestly evaluate your relationship with the Lord. Maybe it’s not the whole relationship, but perhaps pieces of it where you’ll find you’ve plateaued. Then prayerfully recommit those things back to Him, allowing Him to stretch you and grow you in every area of your life. I assure you, if you really do these things and expect results, you WILL overcome that plateau and get back on the road to an effective and exciting walk with the Lord!
220 Gal 