Are You Interested or Are You Committed?

A few weeks back one of the fitness people I follow on Instagram posted this statement, “Are You Committed or Interested?” She went on to explain that if you are interested in something like fitness you may show curiosity in the topic but until you become committed to the idea of fitness you won’t make progress in it.

That idea struck a chord with me.

I could say I have been interested in physical fitness most of my life. I can still remember the first time I saw a Muscle and Fitness magazine when I was sixteen years old. It had a picture of Lou Ferrigno on the cover. I had seen him on The Incredible Hulk and admired his strength and muscles.

I started buying the magazine regularly. Each month I would learn more about the classic bodybuilders, their routines and what they ate.

I wanted to look like them. I even joined a racquetball club that had a gym so I could try my hand at lifting weights.

I was interested, but not committed. I would lift weights, but not consistently. As far as diet, I enjoyed food too much to live on what was recommended for diets in the 1980’s.

The fact is I lived a majority of my life interested in fitness. My desire has always been to look similar to Steve Reeves, the Hercules of the 50’s, Instead my body resembled more like Homer Simpson.

It took seeing a picture of myself and thinking, “that’s not me”, to convince me to finally commit to a healthy lifestyle. At that point, whenever I would bend over, my stomach would feel like I had a basketball inside, not allowing me to bend as far as I thought I should.

Commitment takes time, effort and consistency. Commitment is of vital importance to success in anything we do. So the question needs to be asked in every facet of our lives, are you interested or are you committed?

Are You Interested or are you Committed to Physical Fitness?

Are you interested in having a fit body? Do you want to look good in your clothes? Do you think a healthy lifestyle will help prolong a good quality of life well into your retirement years?

Most of us would say yes to at least one or more of these questions, but the biggest question is what are you doing about it?

The first step is to make a commitment to being physically healthy. Your commitment can’t be a one time thing that next week you quit. It needs to be a commitment that you reinforce every day.

Commitment is not just a mental resolve, it is an action.

You need to daily commit yourself to eating better, to finding new and healthy ways to eat.

You need to find ways to move your body and exercise it. It doesn’t matter whether it is going to the gym, or doing something outdoors like hiking or running. The point is you need to use your body if it is going to get physically better.

Sure there are going to be days when you don’t have the energy to exercise or there is a family function where your food isn’t the healthiest, but those days become the exception, not the rule.

Once you make being healthy a lifestyle you won’t want to go back. I know! I spent over 50 years not being healthy. Now that being healthy has become my lifestyle my only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner.

It’s your commitment that is the key.

Are You Interested or are You Committed to Emotional Health?

The same commitment you put into physical fitness can also be used to affect other areas of your life. Are you struggling emotionally? Do you get down on yourself? Do you have issues with anger?

Some issues emotionally can be sever enough that seeing a professional is what is needed. Most of the time, for the majority of us, what we need is an attitude adjustment.

I have known people in my life who could be obnoxious or rude, who would get upset with others and say, ‘I am what I am, and I ain’t gonna change. If they don’t like the way that I am then they can go to hell.’

That kind of attitude only leads to a life of frustration for them and for those who have to deal with them.

Everyone in life has something they can improve on and each one of us should try to improve ourselves to be a better person. Maybe we need more patience, or compassion. Maybe we need to think more positively.

Interestingly, some of the best ways to improve the emotions of your soul is to work at it starting with your body and your spirit.

Physical care of your body through exercise and proper rest are proven ways to balance one’s emotions. We all know that if we don’t get enough rest we tend to be more cranky and emotional, so make sure your body gets enough rest.

Also studies have shown that proper exercise releases endorphins which give one a feeling of well being, so go out for a walk or a jog, lift some weights. It will do you some emotional good.

On the other side when you work on your spiritual life and draw closer to your Creator, it will improve your emotions as well. We are encouraged to ‘walk in the Spirit’ with the Holy Spirit.

When we walk in the Spirit we will bear what is called the Fruit of the Spirit.

What is the Fruit of the Spirit? Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” As you can see, these are all positive emotions that are produced by walking in the Spirit.

We all change, let’s change for the good.

Lastly, since we already started talking about the Spirit.

Are You Interested or are You Committed to Spiritual Growth

This is an area where we can be lacking and not even realize it. Many of us slide through life just getting by spiritually. We may go to church just enough to keep family happy. Most of us recognize that there is a God who created us and we will one day have to answer to, but since He doesn’t seem to affect our day to day lives we ignore Him until there is a crisis and then we cry out to Him or blame Him for our problems.

Even if you are more than what is called the EC crowd, that is those who only show up for Easter and Christmas, even if you go weekly to church, if Sunday is your only spiritual encounter for the week, I would say you are interested, but not committed.

Keith Green, a Christian singer from the 1970’s had a song that made me think. It was called, “To Obey Is Better than Sacrifice”. In it he had a thought provoking message for which Green was criticized for being too harsh. I think he was on target. He said,

“To obey is better than sacrifice I want more than Sundays and Wednesday nights 'Cause if you can't come to Me every day Then don't bother coming at all”

The point Keith Green was making is that our spiritual life is an everyday commitment. God doesn’t want us to just do our weekly ritual and then live like the devil the rest of the week. God wants a daily relationship with Him.

That relationship starts when we dedicate our lives to God by asking Him to forgive our sins and receiving His Son Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.

Romans 10:9 puts it this way, “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

That is the beginning of your spiritual walk with God. Each day you should seek to walk closer with God. Learn His ways because He is your Creator and has your best interest at heart.

Eventually, if you stay committed to it you can say like the Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Now that is commitment!

Have a wonderful and blessed day!