Look like a Ferrari Run Like a Pinto

Sputter . . . sputter . . . sputter.

What?!

You're supposed to run better than that! Look at you!! You are beautiful! You have a tight body, nice curves, an alluring smile and captivating eyes. You have big muscles, 6-pack on lock; you look like a Greek god-- a Charlie Atlas. Cue the 'Nutty Professor, 'Hercules, Hercules.'  TSA won't let you fly because of the guns you possess, but you sputter.

How!? Why?! You're a Ferrari!

Many of us look GREAT~ matter of fact, some of you women look TOO great *laughs* , but that's another time, another place, another writing. The problem isn't our bodies. In fact, each of our bodies is a temple of the Holy Spirit~ a dwelling place of THE Living God (1st Cor. 3:16).

While it takes hard work: hours in the gym, ounces of sweat, good genes, a lot of dedication and commitment to look great, it's A LOT easier to LOOK wonderful on the outside than it is to BE wonderful on the inside.

The truth is. Many people put a huge emphasis on looking great, while neglecting and largely ignoring their inner-selves. That makes NO sense! That's like having a nice SUV, tinting the windows, throwing some dubs (big rims) on it, putting a system and TVs in it and then you open the door and you see one seat. The passenger seat is not there or the middle row of seats.

It's having the appearance of a beautiful black Ferrari (or you pick the color) and then you pop the hood and there is an engine of a Pinto! It would take a lot of the enthusiasm out of owning a Ferrari wouldn't it?

I'm not condemning lifting weights or placing priority on your outward appearance. What I do have a problem with is looking like a million bucks and being content walking around on food stamps on the inside! 'Have nothing to do with godless myths or old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical exercise/training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.' 2nd Tim. 4: 7-8.

1. The outside is easier to work on

While it does take discipline, hard work and dedication to bulk up, tighten up or slim down; it takes far more to allow God to mold you into the man or woman He wants you to be (Phil. 1:6), to build up your spirit-man, changing your heart in the process. It takes focus to make it to the gym 4 or more times a week, but you have to have tunnel-vision in order to truly grow as a believer in your faith. Being disciplined enough to allow your habits to match your love for God-- to read the Bible, pray (talking and listening) and worshiping is not for the faint of heart!

The only opponent you face when thinking of lifting weights, running or walking is YOURSELF whereas the devil and his henchmen will stop at nothing to keep you from doing anything that will give God glory and bring you happiness, joy and peace.

Oh, you thought it was just coincidence you get sleepy or distracted every time you set out on the mission to read, worship or pray?

Ephesians 6:12 and 1 Peter 5:8

2. This body can't always help. 


No matter how physically fit you are, there will be times where your body simply can't do the job. There will be times where looking 'photo-shopped' can't help. When you are throwing up with a temperature of 102, how big your guns are or nice your legs look can't save you!

I believe God allows our immune systems to fail from time to time for two reasons: 1. So we will be more grateful for being healthy. Think about it. If we were never sick, would we appreciate being whole and having an able body? It goes along with, without ever tasting defeat, would we ever fully relish our victories? There is something about tasting just enough bad that makes us truly appreciative for the good in our lives. 2. Without getting sick, or experiencing things outside of the realm of our control, we would have less of a dependency on God. Sadly, some of us serve a 911 God. You know . . . only call up God when we need something just like the emergency line. Those type of people never talk to the Lord, never worship Him, never tell Him thank you for their blessings, but at the first sign of trouble, when they need something or when they've had too much to drink on a Friday night and hugging the toilet are QUICK to offer up a prayer.

Are you a 911-God person?

Like it or not. The way God designed our bodies is, we ALL are affected by gravity as we age. As the years pass, our metabolism slows down, our ability to keep off those extra pounds is lessened and things that used to sit up high now 'swing low' and it's not a sweet chariot moment when we realize it. We have to work out harder and more frequently and even then, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, it won't matter. Our body simply won't be what it once was and the temple we've worked so hard to build will look like a dilapidated shack not the mansion we once constructed.

The good news is we have the assurance God will be there for us.

Read Isaiah 46:4
'Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.'

Job tells us, 'Wisdom is with aged man and with long life comes understanding.' Job 12:12

I want to share with you some powerful truths Mike Riley of preachersfiles.com says about 'growing old.'

'The lessons of hardship, success and failure we learn in life should be passed on to the younger generation.' Psalm 71: 17-18

And that, 'Hopefully the younger generation will have enough wisdom to listen.' Proverbs 2: 1-2.

Will you have wisdom to pass down when you are old? If so, why wait to gain it?

3. Look like a Ferrari run like a Ferrari 


That's the ultimate goal. To look chiseled from stone, but to possess the fruits of the spirit to go along with it. Our objective should be to look great and BE great! Like the old adage coined by NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. 'Look great, feel great. Feel great, play great.'

Each day we have the potential to 'play great' by living that day being the salt and light and city on a hill we are called to be through love as Christians.

Read Galatians 5: 22-23, 'But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against these things there is no law.'

It's curious humility isn't one named, but my opinion of why it's not is because knowing Christ, through dying on the cross for us, did something we could not do for ourselves should be enough to keep us humble no matter how big our bank accounts get or how known our names are. Knowing just as quickly as the Lord has given it, He can allow it to be taken should keep us drinking from the cup of humility.

The reason why there are beautiful people, men and women, who are hideously ugly on the inside is because they spend little, if any, time being on the Surgeon's table. They have never taken the first step on the journey of selflessness.

If we allow God to perform surgery on us and take out hate/dislike, frustration, discontentment, impatience, meanness, badness, unfaithfulness, gruffness and being a slave to our desires, and replace them with the qualities named in Galatians then we will run like a Ferrari.

Will it be easy? No! But it will sure be worth the trips to the garage!