Crossfit Murphy

We can be the nicest the person in the world.  We can donate all our time to charities, feed the hungry, serve on every committee at church but none of this will get you in heaven if you haven’t been saved.  In Ephesians it says, For it is by grace you have been saved.  What does that mean?  It is by the grace of God that he sent his only begotten Son to die for you.  If you don’t accept him into you heart and live your life according to his Word, it is the gift of God—not by works.  We cannot boast about all the good things we do if we are not doing them through Christ.  God’s Son, Jesus is our gift.  We say Jesus is the reason for the season at Christmas.  But, should we not celebrate his birth, death, and resurrection more than on a designated holiday?  You can walk around and act like nobody ever does anything for you.  But you are wrong, because Christ died for you.  You just have to accept the gift.  It is not forced, he wants you to come to him.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:6

Today is Valentines Day.  Couples take the time to celebrate their relationship and joy of being together.  Children often celebrate it by making cards with candy and stickers.  It is a fun day and should be observed more often.  We get so busy and tied up in work we often forget just to tell our loved ones, we love them.  Everyone likes to feel appreciated and loved.  So, take the time today and every day to tell your friends and family you love them.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  1 John 4:7

We just got back from spending the weekend in Woodstock, GA at the Garage Games.  Everyone that competed did an exceptional job.  It was exciting to see the competitions and how everyone cheered each other on.  Friends and family came out to support.  We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful group of people that truly care about one another.  Throughout the weekend, I continued to see people from the gym show up to show their support for their CrossFit Murphy family.  In such a busy world, do we every stop to enjoy the blessings that are all around us?  God places people in our lives for a reason.  We are very blessed to have special people placed in our lives to share Gods blessing with.

Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.~Hebrews 13:3

This weekend we have several people from our box going to the Garage Games in Atlanta!  We are so excited to see how the people competing will do in their individual and team events.  So what is the point of competition?  As CrossFitters, we compete every day - mainly against ourselves, but also against each other.  That is why we write our scores on the white board.  Be proud of your time, no matter what your ranking is.  It will get better, if you show up and do the work.  Your times get faster and the weight loads get heavier.  You start to feel like you are walking a little taller than you were before.

Competition breeds success.  According to the Bible, competition is a vital component of success. However, left unchecked, competition can also lead to failure.  As I was on the website for the Garage Games, I saw slogans for the apparel companies represented. One states “Life as Rx” and a particular slogan that caught my attention reads, “Make Every Rep Count.”  This weekend at competition, every rep will count for the athletes competing.  CrossFit holds one to a certain higher standard.  If movements are not done correctly, one gets the dreaded “NO REP”.  That is what sets CrossFit apart from other sports.  Execute the fundamentals of the movement correctly or it doesn’t count.  So, what if we lived our life like these slogans? “Make every rep count”.  Do we live by God’s standard to make every day count? Hold yourself to a higher standard than the rest of the world and make the most of each day.  You do so every WOD, so why not every day?  As I read blogs from various boxes and then see it in my own box, CrossFit makes us better outside the box in various aspects of our lives.  Why not focus on the most important standard?  You have a purpose! You should want to live “Life as Rx” in Christ.  God’s prescription for our trials, tribulations and requests lies in His Word.  Live by it.  “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” [John 14:21]

Pursue living your life in the way you pursue your workouts.  Make it count!  Don’t quit when it gets hard. Competition disciplines us to be better.  When you don’t strive to be better, you will never see any progress.

“An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”  2 Timothy 2:5

Idolatry is a big problem in today’s society.  Often things of this world are idols in our life and we don’t realize it.  How do you measure success or defeat in your life?  People typically measure their success by material possessions. God’s economy doesn’t measure like the world does.  The most valuable thing you can have that will protect you in this world is knowledge in God’s word.  It will keep you from being deceived and your priorities where they need to be. His word is the anchor that hold us steady in the storms of life.

I form the light and create darkness,
   I bring prosperity and create disaster;
   I, the LORD, do all these things.

 “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;
   let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
   let salvation spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
   I, the LORD, have created it.

 “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,
   those who are nothing but potsherds
   among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
   ‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
   ‘The potter has no hands’?
Isaiah 45:7-9

When we are waiting to be delivered from something in our life do we try to be so proactive or do we allow God to work?  Sometimes we think God can’t handle it so we throw our actions in.   I love in Exodus when Moses told the Israelites to be still, the Lord will fight for you.  If you are waiting on the Lord to move on your behalf, did you ever think he was waiting on you to be ready?  God keeps his promises and never fails.  It is us who fail him in our disbelief and over anxiousness.  Waiting on the Lord is a form of obedience.

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Exodus 14:13-14

What is the hardest thing, living as a believer or becoming a believer?  In Romans 12:1-2,  ^“ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. “  Believing in the truth is one thing and actually living in the truth is another.  Are you transformed by renewing your mind in Christ?  By all the pressure in our world it is hard not to be conformed by it.  That is why we have to stay close to God and read his word.  Constantly renewing our mind and living in truth.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  Romans 8:37

Have you ever known or seen someone quick to anger.  Usually they end up saying something they regret.  We all get upset at some time in our life over something.  Do you think God gets upset with us when we disregard his commandments for our life?  He wants us to do what is right not just for his sake but for ours.  He is slow to anger because he loves us so much.  Pray to be slow to anger and think about how patient God is with you when you make mistakes.

‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’
Numbers 14:18

Do you ever think about your self worth?  What do you think it is.  Most people don’t feel very good about themselves and could pick out 10 things they would change.  God thought we were worth a lot since he sent his only Son to die for us.  David wrote in Psalm, we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Think about how much Christ loves you and wants you to know that.  In Luke 12:7, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  Think about he knows the number of hairs on your head.  There is no parent on this earth that knows that about their child.  He knows every little detail about his children.

For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
 My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.
 How precious to me are your thoughts,God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
 Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand—
   when I awake, I am still with you.
Psalm 139:13-18