A Peace of the Gym

At Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, we've begun a 6-week teaching series called ENGAGE: Living and Loving Like Jesus in Your Everyday Relationships. It's a church-wide initiative that will touch as many hearts as possible. The message from the pulpit is driving the same curriculum being taught to the younger children, to the high school kids, young adults and even to those affected by special needs. Even the thousands of small group attendees in the local area are using it as a guide over the next 6 weeks. 

The interpretation is pretty simple and impossible and daunting and motivating and humbling. See, because our relationships often reflect the brokenness of the world around us, living and loving like Jesus is extremely challenging for many reasons. But here's the peace, here's the grace, here's the truth, here's the promise, here's the hope. According to Pastor Shawn: Jesus always engaged with people in ways that added value to their lives and ultimately shaped culture for good.

So what about us, the health-hunters, the fitness-minded, the seekers, the hard-gainers, and the illness-fighters. How does the way Jesus interacted with others influence the way we go about the business of bodily stewardship? Can the Christian be the most peace-full, peace-filled, peace-giving person in the gym? Should we be the peace of the gym? 

If it's alright with you, I think I'll let PrayFit have some themes over the next few weeks. This week's focus: peacemakers.

Perhaps it'll change the way we approach the gym, the studio, the guy on the treadmill, the lady behind the counter taking membership cards, the custodian cleaning up the restroom, the family member that wants us to stay home instead of heading out for our run. And maybe it'll change the way we see the person looking back at us in this morning's mirror. 

Happy Monday, everyone. More than progress, let's make peace.

- Jimmy Peña

To Do:
Warm-up: Think about someone you need to make peace with (could be any of those I mentioned above, maybe someone else) and then just pray for them.

Exercise: Memorize this verse: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." - Romans 12:18