Lifting and the Road Back

I have been sharing a few things from my lifting experience in the last few emails.  Lessons about how our schedule can so easily squeeze out the important things, lessons about how much is lost when we forget or neglect the habits that define us.  But last night I was reminded once again of one of the important leadership lessons when I was lifting.

 

I have only been back to lifting for about five weeks, and on my best weeks that means three workouts:  one working on chest, one working on back, and one working on arms.  Last night was chest--inclined bench, declined bench and fly's.

 

After just five weeks back, in each of those three exercises I worked at the heaviest weights I had ever worked out at.  Five weeks earlier I had lost ground, fallen back.  But five weeks later I was not only back to where I was, but I had surpassed my previous marks.

 

That's the lesson.  And it was huge to me.  You caught it, right?

 

It's true that when the schedule crowds out the habits that make us a good leader, there is a price to be paid.  We fall back, we lose ground.  Whenever we neglect the defining habits, we pay a price. That is a sobering thought, a serious lesson, one that every leader needs to heed.

 

But the lesson last night was a jubilant thought.  You see, last night I was reminded that when ground has been lost, when habits that shape our lives have been neglected, the ground can be reclaimed, redeemed, restored.  The recommitment to the habit, the restored discipline, not only swiftly gets you back to where you were, but on the advance, moving forward.

 

Was it frustrating to have lost ground?  YES.

 

Was it worth the fight to get into the discipline?  Absolutely.

 

That's the lesson.  When we've let a discipline slide, a habit that defines us lapse, it's worth the effort to get back to where we were.  Always.

 

As a leader have you let a habit slide?  Are you in his word?  Are you stretching yourself to grow?  Pressing forward in prayer?  Are you on top of the disciplines that guard your heart from lust, avarice, sloth?  Or have you drifted?

 

There is Good news.  Reapply, start anew, do again the early things that defined you, and the ground can be regained.

 

The Forgiver challenged a church that was once ablaze with passionate service to do just that.

 

"But I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at first! ⁵ Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. 

Revelation 2:4,5

The Man in the Window

Bruce D. Rzengota
Norwalk Alliance Church

-- To follow Jesus is to learn to move with God.