Doing What You Can...Doing What You Can't...

I Like going to the gym.  I've been going for a number of years now.

My take on going to the gym is this:  You do what you can - so you can eventually do what you can't.  IE You lift a certain weight in order to lift a heavier weight down the road.  OR, you run a certain distance in order to run a greater distance...etc etc etc.  You do what you can, so you can do what you can't.

Here's something I have to be intentional about.  There are certain exercises that I have NEVER liked doing...there are certain body parts I don't like to train at all...there are certain ways of training I just do not like at all.

SO

If left to my own exercise program, it will be ONLY those things I do like.  Which, you might say, is ok.  And, I agree, it is, in a very limited way.  The problem with only doing what I want or like is this - there will be areas of weakness that NEVER get challenged at all.  They will remain under-developed...weaker than other areas...lagging...etc.  Ironically, they will become more obvious as other areas strengthen.  AND, they will eventually become a weakness to the other "stronger" areas.

SO

How do I deal with this?  I make myself do programs that I don't design.  I make myself do those exercises & other things, that everything in me is fussing about.  I push myself.  I talk to myself in these "I hate this exercise" moments.

WHY?

I do what I can - so I can do what I can't.

OK

Here's my point.

I have been thinking about this at a higher level.  As in LIFE.  As in SPIRITUAL development.  As in ANY area of life needing developed or matured.

Spiritually.

What if there are certain "disciplines" that I just don't like at all?  Like - praying...giving...kindness...silence...other.  And, like in the gym, I'm not good at them at all either.  And, like in the gym, I'm not going to do them easily or naturally.

What if - I took on a "Develop More Fully Spiritually (or Insert the Area of Life needing developed) Program"?  Where I'd do what I can - so I can do what I can't.

What If - I took on a particular "less than favorite" discipline & made myself work on it.  So that it was not a glaring weakness. And, it wasn't going to lead to an overall weakness - even among the other strengths.

WELL

That's exactly what I think we are meant to do.

Exercise.  Not only those things/area in life we like doing, or that come more naturally.  But also, those areas that we tend to avoid...or struggle with most.  The ones that we are just not going to do, unless we take on a program we didn't design ourselves.

Make sense?

What if we took 1 area a month & made it a more focused area to work on...or strengthen.

Say - like "not talking about people"...or "reaching out to the less fortunate"...or saying "I love you" more often to those in our life...You pick the "weak" area & intentionally work on it.

How much stronger of a person would we be - if we worked on the areas we tend to skip?

Join with me in this effort of - learning to do what I can't by doing what I can.

peace

b