I have discovered something about myself over the course of the past few months. There are a lot of things that I love about crossfit and weightlifting: the community, the results, the fun, and so much more. What I think I love most though is the journey- the day in, day out grind and struggle to make yourself better than you were the day before. Nothing is more rewarding than taking a step back and seeing how far you have come in a set amount of time. I remember when my max clean and jerk was 100 kilos- what is now a warm up snatch weight. It is in stepping back that you realize all the blood, sweat, and tears (yes, men cry... lifting heavy weights day in and day out will do that to you eventually. If it doesn't, you aren't lifting heavy enough) are worth it. I have found that for me personally, the climax of each segment of my journey is in sending a PR video to my close friends and lifting partners. The first thing I do when I hit a PR is text the handful of people who would appreciate not only the PR, but the journey I have taken to achieve it. I was thinking about this yesterday, and a question began circulating in my head.
Why do you feel the need to share the video with them?
The answer is two fold: 1) for their good/joy, and 2) for my good/joy
In my sharing the video, they stand to learn a thing or two from what I did right, as well as what I did wrong. This, when applied personally, leads to them improving and thus receiving more joy. I also stand to gain joy from this experience, for my joy is not consummated until it is shared. I love weightlifting, and if I were never to talk about it or share it with others, it would probably mean that I either didn't love it as much as I say I do, or that I was missing out on experiencing some of the joy it had to offer by keeping it to myself and not sharing it with others. How true it is that until we share our enjoyment of something, we have not yet received the fullness of joy that is to be had in that something.
I can't help but think how applicable this is in regards to the gospel message of Christ taking what was broken and making it new.
"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
-2 Corinthians 5:16-18
That I am a new creation, made whole and clean by Christ my King is more precious than any weight I will ever lift over my head. It is a gift to marvelous for words, to amazing for comprehension, and to delightful to not share. If I didn't share my love for Christ with others, it would either mean that I didn't love Him as much as I said I did, or that I was missing out on some of the joy that was to be had by keeping it to myself. Our enjoyment of the gospel message is inseparably linked to our sharing of that gospel message- our joy is not yet consummated until it is shared. The words of the prophet Jeremiah come to mind:
"But if I say, 'I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name', his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." (Jer 20:9)
So herald the good news, brothers and sisters, for His glory, and for your good. The kingdom is at stake, as is your joy!
Blessings
