Watch Your Form

I was recently in the midst of a situation where I was feeling overwhelmed and very out-of-sorts.  I really hate that feeling and it seems as though it can quickly snowball.  You know what I mean?  I woke up this past Thursday morning and read the fifth chapter of Galatians before starting into my day.  I oftentimes read the "New Living Translation" and then also supplement with "The Message" as I soak in God's Word and pray that my life will be one that has been marinating in this perspective!  Here are some highlights (via The Message) from Galatians 5:

^4-6 "I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.
^16-18 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?
^22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
^25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original." 

  

These words are so powerful!  Reading back through them just now has me convinced that perhaps I should focus on this chapter and really break it down in my own mind and heart over the next several weeks!  Staying close to God through His Word SHAPES us.  Like nothing else.

So back to this past Thursday morning.  I had read these words from Galatians and then went down to the basement to begin my workout.  I was doing "Lower Fix" that morning and during the split squat move depicted in the image at the top of this entry, something hit me so hard that I had to pause the DVD and just take it all in.  "WATCH YOUR FORM" was the thing.  Now many of us know that while working out it is imperative that we use correct form or we will be more prone to injury not to mention that we will be ineffective with that particular move and are in effect wasting our time with it!  I am thankful to have my husband checking me out every now and then during my workouts!  With his athletic trainer background he is able to instantly spot where I may be going wrong with my form.  As much as this can irritate me at first, it is helpful.  He has my best interests at heart and I need to hear it.  But back to 5:45 on Thursday!  As I paused the DVD and sat down on my basement floor that morning, here is what I felt the Lord speaking to my heart... "Watch your form.  Right now.  In your life.  Otherwise you are going to be ineffective and will get hurt."  This has been settling in my heart over the past five days and I know that it is a life lesson that I will implement and remind myself of during the days ahead.  There is so much more to life than what we can see happening right in front of us.  What are we going to do with all that we have been given?