A Call To Die Challenge: Day 17
And going a little farther He fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”…Again, for the second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
- Matthew 26: 39,42
The Crucible of Choice
During these last 16 days and at the beginning of this challenge, we have talked about sin and identified a few of them.
We have discussed sacrifice, even of things that are not necessarily sinful, and living a balanced life.
We have also discussed God’s desiring us to be like Jesus, no matter the cost.
I have a feeling that perhaps while we have explored all of these ideas, these words have brought up ideas of things in your life that you know God would like you to change.
You may have thought,
“I know God does not desire for me to cuss… but it is really not that bad.”
“I know God wants me to forgive and reconcile with that person who wronged me… but they are toxic so they need to remain cut off.”
“Drunkenness is wrong…. no, if I stop drinking, my friends will call me lame.”
“I feel as though God wants me to reevaluate how much social media or entertainment I consume… But I am supposed to be able to relax, cutting things out would be legalistic.”
What has God brought to your mind?
In these moments, there has been, as David Nasser says, “a collision of wills.”
Your will has collided with God’s will.
Your Lord and Savior has made a request.
Right now, there is a spiritual battle going on as the Holy Spirit is pulling you in one direction, and on the other side your flesh and perhaps Satan himself is pulling you in the opposite direction.
One side is leading you to beneficial action and righteousness. The other side is leading you to complacency, sin, and consequences.
What will you choose today?
Keep in mind that a response to this sort of call is to be met with action.
What will you do to follow God’s will for you? Create a plan and ask for strength to carry it out quickly and with resolve.
Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, faced a similar situation. He had to choose either avoiding pain, death, and the wrath of God for the sins of mankind or the choice of obeying the Father by enduring all of this for the sake of God’s glory and our forgiveness.
I am glad He decided to continue in obedience despite such discomfort!
Perhaps we can make a similar decision today out of gratitude for His sacrifice.
Workout and Nutrition
Here is a full body workout you can do at your local gym if you choose to take part in this portion of the challenge. I plan to do 3 full body workouts Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you are new to the gym, I recommend looking up the exercises before going.
(rest around 90 seconds – 60 if you are pressed for time)
Squats 3 sets x 8 reps
T-Bar Row 3×8
Bench Press (I used dumbbells today so I could safely get as close to failure) 3×8
Shrugs/Rear Delt Fly 3×8/88
Hammer Curls/Skullcrushers 3×8/8
Standing Calf Raises 3×8
Leg Raises (or any variation you would like)
For nutrition, I recommend not going too strict for the sake of consistency for 40 days.
I will commit to these two rules:
- The majority of meals that I eat will be homemade (not overly processed foods)
- If I eat out I will ask for a to go box and save 1/4 of my meal to eat later in the week.
One Response