“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7 NJKV)
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23 ESV)
“Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].” (Romans 12:1-2 AMP)
Here we go. Day 2 at the club. I mustered up what enthusiasm I could and headed back to “try again.” I had not yet fully recognized how deeply my inner image of failure was. Therefore, I had not yet dealt with the “real” issue that was holding me back. None the less, I was going to go back and face my fears. I desperately wanted to break through and lose the fat that was literally killing me.
I went through what seemed to be a Deja vu experience of the day before. After another 30 minutes of “expected failure” I decided to run out and never return. I remember purposely looking around to see if the woman who had spoken to me was there. I was not looking for more encouragement. It was just the opposite. I wanted to get out before she could catch me. I just wanted to admit my failure and leave. I didn’t see her so I figured it was my time to duck out before she came in. Then it happened.
The Lord sent an older gentleman to my rescue. Just as I was about to leave, a man ran up to me and asked if we could have a word. Just like the woman the day before, He began by sharing his initial struggles when he came to the gym. He commended me for coming back the second day, and assured me that with time things would get better. He then asked if I had time to go back into the club with him so that he could help me learn how to do a few of the exercises. I reluctantly said OK, and with trepidation followed him back to the equipment that had taken my last ounce of pride. We actually had an enjoyable 30 minutes as we talked and laughed and I learned a few things. When we finished he asked me, “Will I see you tomorrow?” I answered, “You bet.” Then he asked if he could say one more thing.
He looked me in the eyes and said, “Something inside me tells me that you need to hear what I am about to say. I have made Jesus the Lord of my life. He comes with me to the club every time I come. He is the One who gives me the ability to succeed at what I do, and He is the One who picks me up when I fall short.” He then asked, “Do you know Jesus? Have you made Him the Lord of your life?” I quickly responded, “Yes!” To which he responded, “I recommend that tonight when you talk to Him you give Him your desire to get your body in shape, and invite Him to take control of your time at the club. You probably see yourself as a failure when the equipment gets the best of you. You probably doubt that you will ever be able to reach your goals. But with Jesus you can do it. Let Him change the way that you think. Let Him give you the strength to endure and overcome.” Then he told me that he would love to help me again tomorrow.
This conversation helped me to see that I was still carrying around the image of being a failure, and the expectation of never being able to succeed. I was trying to do it on my own so that no one would see just how inadequate I was. That is changing as I consider…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 303: Built-In Expectations: The Power of the Sub-Conscious Mind – Part 3