I did it and I survived. I went back to the gym for the first time in months. Summer can be hard to make it up there but also a great excuse not to. The gym has always been a bit of an intimidating place for me, especially when I feel I’m not at my best physically. I don’t know what most of the machines there do and it often seems like everyone else there is a pro at them or at whatever workout they are doing. I typically fumble around and try to pretend I know what I’m doing and somehow manage through. Today after a couple of months of missing my cardio dance class, I ran out of excuses and forced myself to go. I stood in the back and fumbled through the motions, but I made it. And I left the gym better for it.
I couldn’t help but think that my same feelings about the gym can be so true for people regarding church. I kept telling myself that I’ll work out at home. I’ll hold myself accountable, and once I’ve gotten my act together a little more and have lost a little more weight, then I’ll feel ready to show up at the gym. I don’t want to look like I’m struggling. I want to put my best foot forward. I like to feel and look like I have my act together, but that is usually not the case.
There are people who also share my same gym struggle but in regards to going to church. The truth is that you don’t have to have your act together to go. You don’t have to fix those things you’ve been trying to hide before you can go. Just do it. Show up. There’s a good chance that someone sitting a few rows over just cursed at their kids on the drive over. There’s also a good chance that someone sitting near you is struggling with a porn addiction. Someone in there is hiding an affair from their spouse. Someone in there is a gossiper. Someone else in there has an alcohol addiction. The church is full of broken, messed up people. It’s the perfect place for me and it’s the perfect place for you because the truth is that we are all a little broken, and all a little messed up. That’s the great thing about God though. He already knows our brokenness. He already knows how bad we are and despite all of that, he still loves us anyway and he wants to meet you right where you are at. The good, the bad, the ugly, the messy.
So if you’ve been waiting. If you’ve been debating. If you’ve been too intimidated. If you’ve been making excuses. Just go. Just show up. And leave a little bit better because of it.
