One month ago today, on March 5th, I did my first Crossfit class. That was a game-changer.
When I was in grade 5, I learned about the cross and accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. That was a life-changer.
Although these are two different things, what struck me this morning was that they are actually one and the same:
One of the core principles of Crossfit is that this fitness program is fit for everyone. Anyone can do it. This is because the essence of the movements involved for a variety of their workouts i.e. pull-ups, push-ups, squats, burpees, etc. are functional movements that all of us use on a day to day basis. Have you ever faceplanted on the ground and had to push yourself up? Or sat on a chair? Those simple tasks involve the strength of a push-up combined with the burpee and the squat. After doing 12 minutes of what Crossfit calls an AMRAP (As Many Repetitions As Possible) involving an intense mixture of these exercises, I talked to the owner of Crossfit M3 who shared with me about his grandma doing Crossfit. Grandma?! He told me she could do crazy things involving rope pulls, gymnastic rings, and other things that I myself thought I could never do. Obviously, it was at a difficulty akin to her level of fitness but even still. It blew my mind and made me question my own limitations. When you look at the benefits of doing Crossfit (check out this awesome article: http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ-trial.pdf), having greater strength, balance, and the ability to do your daily activities with ease, it’s definitely worth your time.
One of the core principles of believing in the cross and having faith in Jesus Christ is that He accepts everyone. Anyone can come to Him. This is because it says in Galatians 3:26 that: “In Christ Jesus, [we] are all children of God through faith.” No matter who you are and what you have done in your life, when you come to Jesus and accept Him as your personal LORD and Saviour, you become God’s child. A child of the creator of the universe. Wow. Personally, this is the most incredible gift I have and will ever receive. And the amazing thing is that it is a free gift. But because God is a good Father, that’s not all. All of us, including myself, believe we have limitations that hold us back from really going after the things we want to have and do in life. Although He sees your perceived thresholds, He also sees your potential. And similar to Crossfit, when you give your life to Jesus, He’ll challenge and “train” you to rise up in all those areas of your life that you feel limited in so that you are truly able to experience a life filled with greater joy, abundance, excitement and love (John 10:10).
Have you tried Crossfit? Have you accepted Jesus? If you haven’t, try it. I guarantee they will change your life– for the better.
Dr. Clarise
