Why Do You Call Him ‘Lord, Lord?’ Fitness & Lordshipಮಾದರಿ

Purpose: Answering a question of Jesus in Luke 6:46 - "Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?"

I've got four amazing brothers. The oldest is named John, and he's a track coach. Sometimes, I refer to him as John, John Jr., or Big Brother, but when he's giving me fitness encouragement, I call him Coach. After our father died during the pandemic, I remained in Kansas for several months to care for our mother. In various ways, all of my brothers came through to care for me. I'm grateful that Coach brought weights, resistance bands, and an aerobic step to Mama’s house to help me keep up with my workouts. His unwavering support and encouragement kept me going strong throughout that challenging season. The names I use for my brother describe my relationship with him. In the same way, how we choose to call on Jesus indicates the type of relationship we have with Him.

Why Do You Call Him ‘Lord, Lord?’

To answer this personal question, it feels right to use the Passion Translation as a guide. Look with me at Luke 6:46:

“What good does it do for you to say I am your Lord and Master if you don’t put into practice what I teach you?”

Whew, what a question! I hear Christ asking me, “Alida, what good does it do to call on me as if I AM the ultimate authority of your life when you conduct yourself as if I AM merely an option?” Guilty.

At the beginning of my fitness journey, I led worship at a small church in Belize. Along with wanting to be of service, my goal was for my arms to look good while holding the microphone in front of the congregation. Jesus was Lord of my ministry, but sadly, my ego was lord of my body.

There comes a point in our spiritual journey when we need to shift our perspective. Instead of chasing specific fitness goals, like toned arms, we must reframe our focus to honor God with our bodies. We need to view fitness and healthy choices as an act of worship. And we must submit to His Lordship as we practice daily stewardship of His creation.

Goal: Shift your perspective.

Assignment: Practice prayerful discernment and submit your physical goals/desires to God's guidance.

Question for Reflection: How will you practice His Lordship over your body this week?