Raison d'être

raison d'être: reason or justification for existence 

     Among those like me who are crazy nuts about fitness (working out, eating right, training for races etc.), there is always lots of talk about motivation. "How do I get myself into the gym? or out of bed? or away from cookies?" And there are equally as many opinions of how to reach that motivated state. Most of the time it's very practical... "Find a workout buddy. Put your alarm clock on the other side of the room. Sleep in your workout clothes." What I'm noticing about everyone's source of motivation is that it's very conditional. Very dependent on the individual's mood, attitude-- even the weather. So, I thought it's about time that I stop speaking about all the frivolous motivators and talk about what it is that really drives me. Not just to work out, but to LIVE. 

     The video I've attached actually says it better and way more succinctly than I can get it out here in this blog space. So... (insert drum roll here)... my "raison d'etre" is Jesus. No, really. He doesn't just live in the church building, in Sunday school classes, or as a tiny little helpless infant in nativity sets. You see, there was a time when I treated Him like he did. I did church things when in church. Oh, of course I prayed; at some point I had seemed to start thinking that if I didn't pray before bed or meals that lightning would strike me or something equally bad would happen. But it wasn't until I completely left the church (aren't they all a bunch of hypocrites, anyway?) and was pregnant with my first son that I picked up the Bible on my own, determined to find out what it really said. I prayed that through reading it as an adult, that I would really find God. To make a very long story a bit shorter, I did find Him. The Christian faith is the only faith where God saw our complete inability to live a life of perfection and came to earth, to walk where we walk, to experience life as a human. And as if that wasn't bad enough, HE willingly took the punishment for our sins. The Creator of all humanity, of the entire universe, allowed Himself to be beaten and brutally murdered so that we can have a life in paradise for all eternity. But more than that, He brings freedom from the slavery of guilt, self-hatred, anger, depression, anxiety; He brings real joy. Peace. Wholeness. 

     So, how does all of that relate to my motivation to workout? When things get tough, and I want to quit, I think of the sacrifice that Christ made for me. Talk about perseverance. He was ridiculed and beaten. For me.  I always think, if he could do that, can't I just handle this ache in my legs just a little longer? Plus, He promises that the same power that raised Him from the dead now lives in me. Before lifting heavy, or facing a long run, I pray for His power and His strength. He never disappoints. 

     By the way, we Christians aren't all a bunch of hypocrites. Many are. I was at one time. I try my best to live a life that Christ would live, but I mess it up quite often. So, if you are lacking motivation, or something deeper. Go ahead and pick up a Bible... I dare you.