{"id":166,"date":"2016-03-11T07:56:57","date_gmt":"2016-03-11T15:56:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smallchelle.com\/?p=166"},"modified":"2016-03-11T07:56:57","modified_gmt":"2016-03-11T15:56:57","slug":"functional-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smallchelle.com\/?p=166","title":{"rendered":"Functional Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes we talk about faith like it\u2019s a muscle we exercise to make it stronger, but with how my muscles behave after exercise I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s a valid comparison. Maybe it is\u2026. Does my faith get sore after heavy use? Does my faith need a rest day? Does my faith get injured if I use it too much? Nah.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been hearing a lot lately about \u201cfunctional fitness\u201d and I think there is a comparison to faith in that way. Do I have \u201cfunctional faith?\u201d Is my faith strong and well nourished so that when it needs to lift a heavy load or go a distance it can? Do we want \u201cfunctional faith\u201d as badly as we want \u201cfunctional fitness?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In our faith there is a deadlift coming. It\u2019s not something we can just walk away from. It must be lifted. Someone is going to get sick. Someone is going to lose a job. Someone is even going to die.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!<\/h4>\n

Do we treat church on Sunday like the machines at the local Globo gym that isolate muscles and never teaches them to work together? Are we tracking steps but not going anywhere? Or do we use Church like the training grounds it\u2019s meant to be? Barbells, and Kettlebells and Burpees? The burpees that knock us down and teach us how to get back up again. <\/span><\/p>\n

Church is meant to be a safe place for faith to function so we don\u2019t see our faith fail outside the walls. Do we stare ahead at the worship team just listening, or do we take a deep breath and explode with worship? Do we sit through the sermon internally complaining about the squeaky AC vent (guilty!) or do we concentrate on what the Spirit is trying to teach us? Do we pray like we mean it and believe God hears us, or do we pray just to make people feel better about life?<\/span><\/p>\n

Are we apathetic? Do we shrug at the folks around us with a \u201cglad it\u2019s not me\u201d attitude while they are carrying heavy burdens, or do we encourage them? \u201cGood work!\u201d \u201cYou got this!\u201d \u201cKeep your butt low and your chest up!\u201d Or rather, \u201cLet\u2019s get on our knees and lift this up to the Lord!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tenacious G<\/h4>\n

There are two ways to fail. You either don\u2019t try, or you fall and don\u2019t get back up. Aside from being functional the word tenacious comes to mind. Here\u2019s what \u201ctenacious\u201d means:<\/span><\/p>\n

A strong grip or an unyielding advocate might both be described as <\/span>tenacious<\/span><\/i>, a word whose synonyms include <\/span>resolute<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>firm<\/span><\/i>, and <\/span>persistent<\/span><\/i>. The word comes from the Latin root <\/span>tenax<\/span><\/i>, which means \u201cholding fast.\u201d (vocabulary.com<\/a>)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I want that kind of tenacious faith! The awesome thing is that God\u2019s word show us that more often than us grabbing hold of God, He is the one who upholds us. Jesus is our unyielding advocate with a strong grip on us.\u00a0Isaiah 41:10 says:<\/p>\n

fear not, for I am with you;
\n<\/span>be not dismayed, for I am your God;
\n<\/span>I will strengthen you, I will help you,
\n<\/span>I will <\/span>uphold<\/b> you with <\/span>my righteous right hand.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Church isn\u2019t only a place to exercise our faith, but also a place to hear the Gospel that reminds us it is God who upholds us when we are weak. Our strength doesn\u2019t come from inside ourselves, but rather comes from believing that God is holding us up, whether we are on our feet, on our knees, or curled up in the fetal position getting kicked in the gut by life.<\/p>\n

Tenacious faith doesn\u2019t stand up on it\u2019s own like a pillar, it\u2019s the ivy vine that clings to the pillar, and no matter how hard it gets pruned down, it always comes back. Tenacious! We don\u2019t have enough strength, muscle, backbone, faith or anything else to stand on our own, but we can hold on for dear life to Jesus who does. Romans 8:35-38 gives us this hope:<\/span><\/p>\n

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u201cFor your sake we are being killed all the day long;
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.\u201d
\n<\/span>No, in all these things we are more than <\/span>conquerors through <\/span>him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What an awesome scripture to meditate on! If you\u2019ve been encouraged by this today please feel free to leave a comment below or share this post. I appreciate you reading.
\n<\/p>\n

Resources<\/h4>\n

For Functional Faith check out Life Mission Church<\/a> or a local Church near you this Sunday!<\/p>\n

For Functional Fitness check out Crossfit 2.0<\/a> or a local Crossfit Box near you!<\/p>\n

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<\/h6>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes we talk about faith like it\u2019s a muscle we exercise to make it stronger, but with how my muscles behave after exercise I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s a valid comparison. Maybe it is\u2026. Does my faith get sore after heavy use? Does my faith need a rest day? Does my faith get injured if I…<\/span><\/p>\n

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