In the gym just working on my fitness (Part Three)

You get out what you put in. Period.

True, don’t you agree?

Which led me to surmise that the same is true of other areas of life as well. Our relationship with Christ, in particular.

I think maybe we don’t get that a lot of times. We will use verses like Ephesians 2:8-9 (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) to let ourselves off the hook. Undeniably, Jesus does the work of salvation. To be saved, we just put our faith in His saving grace and confess our need for Him. Done deal.

Not what I’m talking about though…

To live in a vibrant relationship with Jesus, we have work to do. We can be slackers, or moderately serious, fakers, or highly motivated. And our individual intimacy with Christ will directly reflect our level of commitment – as outwardly and as obviously as fitness does.
I’ll put myself out there on this one. I’ve gained ten pounds in the past year, and if you studied my workout habits and my eating habits you would conclude that I am not consistently determined to lose that weight. And you would be correct.

The same is often true of my pursuit of Christ. Sporadic. Half-hearted. Motivated. Distracted. Disinterested. On fire. Whichever the case, the same is always true –

I get out what I put in.

Always.

We are to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12). Let us pursue Him in honest prayer. Let us praise Him, come what may… Let us spend our days in constant conversation with Him. Let’s feast on His Word, hiding it in our hearts. Let us make hard choices to do what is best. Let us obey and serve Him and others. Let us be courageous in His Name. Let us delight in His goodness.

To share with you what He is echoing to me, HE IS ENOUGH! Period.

Be consistently determined to pursue Him.