Worship On A Treadmill

No, I'm not talking about a small group that meets at a gym. However, that's not a terrible idea.

Anyway. 

One time at the gym, I discovered a treadmill that DECLINED as well as inclined. I was very excited about this. This was months ago. Since then, I have been searching among the 20+ treadmills for the magic one that lets me walk downhill. On Sunday, I discovered it again. Then I noticed the details that marked the magic treadmills. There were, in fact, at least 3 of them! Maybe I should have prefaced all this with "this has relatively nothing to do with the point of the story".

Today, I climbed on one of the declining treadmills and began the ascent to "15" incline (as high as it goes) and walked uphill for 15 minutes. I then began my descent to -3 (as low as it goes). I began to walk more quickly until I was power walking with the best of them. I picked up feet up more and began to jog. I got used to the pace and impact for a few minutes, and slowly increased the speed to an 8:30min/mile pace. I can usually maintain that comfortably for a few minutes before I get a headache on the treadmill. However, I ran this way for almost 2 miles. It is amazing how good of a runner I can be when running downhill :). A few times within those two miles my mind wandered, but usually I was focused on breathing and removing the tension forming in my upper back and neck. Then, in the midst of Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars songs (Pandora), Natalie Grant's voice sounded with a guitar, singing a great song: "Your Great Name". It was the acoustic version! About a minute in, I realized I was closing my eyes, worshiping God... my hands even kind of did the pound cake worship pose. Right about when I lost my balance I'd be brought back into focus and start thinking about running. After doing this 2 or 3 times, I realized that I was running absolutely effortlessly when I was thinking more about God than the running.

Can you see the analogy coming here?!

So, last night I was doing my Soul Detox devotional and the scripture was from 2 Timothy 3.

As I was reading through this list of what people will be like in the "last days", I was thinking wondrously about how people have been like this for ages and how I try not to be like this when KAPOW! BAM! Verse 5:

"having the appearance of Godliness but denying it's power. Avoid such people." 

It's meaning was not lost on me! I looked up the verse in several commentaries to confirm my suspicions that this very thing could be what I am found guilty of! Sure, everything else I've submitted to the power of God in taking away the sins. BUT! How careful am I really, to appear to be Godly, even to my own self, and yet DENY the power of Godliness and the power of the Spirit to work in my life? To work through me? Is this really a sign of trouble in the world? Where there is sin, there is an obvious denial of the power of God to remove it! Furthermore, where there is a life submitted to the Spirit of God's power, there is a life with potential to change the world with a transparency that lets the Light of all lights to shine into the darkness in this place we live in.

All of this shot through my brain like lightning and then it was gone. But like lightning, it left an indelible impression on my soul. I was not the be guilty of this.

So what does this have to do with me on a treadmill attempting to run fast, sing, and worship at the same time?

Well, when I got home I was still singing Taylor Swift songs. Then I put the iPHONE on the handy-dandy iHOME and the song "Closer" from Bethel Live (For the Sake Of The World) came on right when I stepped into the shower. It turned into worship in the shower instead of worship on a treadmill.

Those two songs made for precious moments with God this morning, and brought my awareness of God today to the top of my mind. Sometimes, I think the power of God is denied in my life because I am not fully abiding in him. I'm not saying that you have to have worship music and scripture blaring into your head all day for you to always remember the Lord. But what moments do I have or take in the name of the God who fills my heart with everything I need? The question that this Soul Detox posed for me several nights ago that still floats ahead of the others was, "What standards are you using to filter out cultural toxins in your life? How well do you think your standards match God's?"

So in light of all of the above, I ask: What standards are you you using to filter out cultural toxins in your life; and how well do you think your standards match Gods?

 Answer me quickly, O LORD!

My spirit fails!

Hide not your face from me,

lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.