S4 E1 - Modify To Your Level

Welcome back after an extended break to the new Season 4 of the Set Your Mind Above Podcast! Over the new year, I started working out again because I really needed to. Actually, I joined CrossFit - and I realized just how out of shape I am. But thankfully, I'm not expected to keep up with everyone who has been there for years. I'm just expected to do my best and modify things to my level. 

We must be sure that we do the same for new Christians. Often, they take the plunge and become a part of the body of Christ, but are immediately thrown into classes that are far above their head. We need to modify things to their level, and ensure that they can really grow at their own pace so as not to become discouraged. 

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Transcript

What if I told you that God could be seen in the most ordinary things every day? 

What if I told you that every day, ordinary events could teach us extraordinary eternal truths?

Would you believe me? 

Welcome back to the new season 4 of the Set Your Mind Above Podcast! My name is BJ Sipe, and I am a Christian, a preacher, a husband, and a father. And I’m excited to share a few moments together with you learning some important lessons from the simplest things.  

I hope and trust that all of you have had a great start to the new year! It was wonderful to be able to take a break for the last several weeks to enjoy the holidays with my family, as well as get back into the swing of things as the new year began. But here we are, starting season 4 of this podcast, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for all of us in the year to come. 

The first month of the new year has flown by, so let me ask you, how are those new year’s resolutions going for you? I’m sure that some of you who are listening in are going, “What new year’s resolutions? I gave that up a long time ago.” And if that’s your answer, I’ve got to tell you that for the longest time I was just like the majority – lots of new and exciting plans but not a whole lot of commitment. By week two or three those newfound plans for a new you start to dissipate as life gets busy again. But this year has been different for me…when it came to my physical health, I finally had had enough. I had watch how my health had slipped over the past year and how I had formed a lot of unhealthy habits. I ate what I wanted. I didn’t exercise. I didn’t drink much water. I sat and read and drank coffee during work each day. As a result, my 5’10’’ frame was suffering under a 200-pound weight – and that was not good. Half of my suits didn’t fit me anymore, and my closet was getting bigger out of necessity in more ways than one. I knew I needed to do something, and I knew I needed to follow through. So…why not go all out. One of our deacons, Michael Couch, is an amazing transformation story himself and is currently a CrossFit coach at a local CrossFit gym. So I took the plunge and signed up. I wanted something that would help me to be accountable, stay on track, and have skilled athletes and instructors all around me to help to teach me how to form healthy habits in my life. When you sign up for CrossFit, the very first thing that you must do before you jump right into it (literally) is to complete a foundations class. Every night you go over a specific set of skills that you will do throughout your workouts. You are taught the proper form to lift with so that you do not cause yourself bodily injury as you proceed. Foundations was tough, and I had not lifted or worked out in years, and I did not realize just how out of shape I was. I trudged my way through it and then was free to sign up for the regular WOD classes (workout of the day). But one thing really stuck with me that I really appreciated as I got into the regular group classes: every single coach stressed to me the importance of modifying your workout to your level. If I was expected to just be thrown into a regular class and be able to keep up with some of the athletes that have been working out there every day for 10 years, I would have been set up for failure. I would have hurt myself trying to do the same weight, or even sometimes the same exercise. For example, you won’t catch me doing handstand pushups anytime soon. If that’s what I was asked to do, I would have likely walked away discouraged and feeling left behind. Instead, every exercise can be modified to my level. So maybe I can’t do a handstand pushup yet…but I can do a seated dumbbell press which works the same muscle group. As I did my modified workouts and weights, I started to notice that just about everyone around me would also have their own modifications here and there as well. Everyone was still growing, and at their proper pace. And no one shamed anyone else for going down in weight or doing a modified workout. Instead, everyone encouraged each other and celebrated each other’s victories no matter where they were in their fitness journey. It’s still going to be hard, it’s still going to take serious commitment, but the fact that this culture has been so accommodating and encouraging to meet me where I am is the thing that’s going to help me stay. 

This all got me thinking about a different kind of commitment that we have made as Christians, not to physical health, but to our spiritual growth. At some point in each of our lives, we saw the dark depths we had reached on account of our sin and had finally had enough – so we turned not to CrossFit, but to the Cross of Christ. We repented of our sins, made a confession of faith, and were baptized into Jesus Christ – finally taking the plunge. But let me ask you this question…what was expected of you next? In 1 Timothy 3:6, there is an important qualification for those who are to be put into the leadership position of a shepherd at a church. And it says the following, “He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil.” Why must a new convert not be a man brought forward to lead a church? Because very simply put, he’s not equipped for that kind of work yet. He has just started his journey of faith and to form different spiritual habits, and you would be setting him up for failure to expect him to do something that is far beyond his abilities so soon. 

We likely see the logic in this, but let’s take this a step further. What this shows me is that there are some things that we should not expect new Christians to be able to do. How many times has this happened: someone responds to the gospel and commits themselves to Christ, and then they are just thrown into whatever class happens to currently be taught. Suddenly, a new Christian that knows little to nothing about the Bible is in the middle of a Daniel class or a Revelation class with 30- or 40-year-old Christians – and guess what? They get lost. They get discouraged. And why wouldn’t they? We’ve thrown them right into the middle of something that they are not ready for yet! Sadly, as a result, some might walk away from Christ and the church because they felt left behind and discouraged. So what is the answer? 

The answer is that we must meet people where they are at so as to modify things to their level. Paul would write in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.” People come from many different backgrounds, and it is vital that we recognize that and modify things to their level. If we want the church to grow properly to become truly mature, we need to instruct and set expectations of others that is appropriate not only for their age, but their level of faith. Just like we have kids classes separated by age, how much better would the church become if we made sure that we had the proper classes for new Christians as well as mature Christians? To create an environment where no one felt embarrassed about their starting point, but rather was greatly encouraged by all around them for giving it all they’ve got and growing at their pace! This is the kind of body that God wants us to be. So in this new year, allow me to admonish you in whatever place you worship to do this very thing. Meet people where they are. Modify teaching to their level. And no matter what, encourage especially new Christians with sincere and genuine hearts, because giving up on a commitment happens most often right at the beginning. 

This has been the Set Your Mind Above Podcast, season 4 episode 1 – and I’m so thankful that you decided to tune in today! A new episode is dropped each Thursday, so be sure to listen in again next week! Also, if you’re able to, go ahead and like and subscribe to the podcast, as well as share it with someone else – it would help me greatly in trying to reach others. And more than anything, always remember the following: know that I love you, that God loves you, and may we all each and every day set our minds above.