I went from being the biggest loser at the gym, doing exercises without ANY weights (Don’t judge me), to finding lighter weights than the lightest weights that they put out for the group class and using those.
But I was using ACTUAL five-pound weights by then!
“The ones who keep coming back are the ones who will get stronger!” I was told.
And I kept coming back.
Until one day, my instructor “had chills” when I did an exercise. This was because I did it with good form. Perhaps her chills were simply chills of relief that she didn’t have to spend five minutes out of every ten minutes re-showing me how to use the equipment in a class full of thirty other students so I wouldn’t hurt myself, her, or others nearby*, but they were chills nonetheless!
“She obviously truly cares about her students,” my husband commented, so he thinks she was surprised I did something right, too.
But I’m improving!
And the thing is that my friend didn’t want to come to the gym because she felt intimidated by all the people around her doing stuff right. That’s the dumbest reason not to go to the gym because EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM was once a big loser at the gym, throwing around weights and hurting themselves and others. (Well, maybe some caught on faster than me, but you catch my point!)
Anyway, we often hear people say it’s those who go the gym a lot who have the big egos, right? Like they are the ones who will laugh at us? Wait – maybe they will laugh at us, but if you read this post, you won’t care about that either!
The point is that you are getting stronger.
And that looking like a bit of a loser is not a bad thing!
It means you’re learning.
And similarly, the next time you pray to God, and then open one eye and wonder why the Archangel Gabriel isn’t standing next to you in your bedroom giving you life instructions, maybe take off your head and replace it with a new one. (Replace it with a head with correct thoughts while you’re at it, of course!)
Maybe we’re SUPPOSED to feel like losers when we are in the process of growing spiritually or physically.
For example, every time I woke up early when I was in a season of trying to learn to pray, I felt like I was playing hide and seek with Jesus. “I can’t find you!” I would call out after 1.28 seconds of concerted prayer. But He was there, often (metaphorically) hiding behind a small rosebush in my backyard. The rosebush that hadn’t blossomed yet. He was in plain sight because my rosebush only reached his knees, but He was bent at the waist, laughing.
I was learning that He loves it when we seek Him.
And so, maybe feeling like we’re losers is even good for us sometimes.
It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them.
Realizing we’re losers is often part of the heart transformation we need to be able to run into His arms like a small child when He does reveal Himself to us one day, when we do experience his presence, when we do sense His love for us through the arms of His people who love us because they love Him.
And so all this jibber-jabber about people at the gym, for example, that they have huge egos?
Hogwash.
After all, I go to the gym!
I do subscribe, however, to the philosophy that it is wiser to FLAUNT one’s ego, so maybe the having-a-big-ego thing doesn’t apply to me?
My gym did recently install this mat, however.
I wonder why?
It’s probably because there’s someone at the gym, someone else, who has a big ego.
Whatever.
Anyway, I hope you follow my advice by knowing now, with absolute confidence, because I told you so, that you, like me, are, of course, VERY humble, the opposite of those with a big ego.
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
Photo credit: Fit guy by Total Shape on Unsplash
*Most days, note that it was only ONE of those three.
Thank you for liking me! I like you too! (Proven HERE, HERE and HERE!) Let’s journey together!
