How heavy should you lift?

For the past 2 months I’ve been working out at a CrossFit gym. (If you want to be CrossFitically correct, it’s actually called a “box.”) Today’s workout consisted of finding a 2 rep max for the hang clean and jerk. My 2 rep max for today ended up at 95 pounds. So how do you actually determine how heavy to lift and when to progress to a heavier weight? Many would say there are exact calculations for programming your workouts, your diet and your rest days. Others would say it comes down to determination, commitment and drive. I agree there needs to be a delicate balance of both but, in my personal and professional opinion, it comes down to safety. I’m going to lift as heavy as I can until it feels unsafe.

 

Which brought me to this question today, “How heavy is the cross?” Luke 9:23 says, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Is the cross 95 lbs? If that were the case I would have to drop it after 2 reps. And, if the cross were 195 lbs I wouldn’t even be able to lift it unless the Bible meant to pick it up using the deadlift. And if my focus in the gym is for safety, does that mean I should stop carrying the cross when I feel unsafe?

Lately, my family has been feeling just how heavy the cross really is (and I’m sure in all reality we still have no clue). We are in a season in our life where we have to choose everyday to pick up our cross or to deny Jesus. Have you ever been in a situation like that before, where the cross just feels too heavy and you don’t think you can lift it any longer? Have you ever been in a situation where you know what you should do, but your selfish desires try to make you fight it everyday?

Almost 8 weeks ago, we decided to open our home to 2 more foster children and boy has that been a target for spiritual warfare in our lives. The world tells us we are crazy, the world tells us this is too much for us, the world tells us we can’t afford it and the world tells us we need to be comfortable. But I don’t think Jesus wants us to experience comfort. I think Jesus wants us to feel unsafe. Because, only when we are bearing the impossibly heavy weight of the cross and only when we feel so unsafe it is scary and only when we have no idea what we are doing, it is then that we must solely rely on Him. It is then that we begin to see a glimpse of the weight that he bore for our sins. It is then that we begin to see how he is making us stronger, even though we feel weak and weary. It is then that he gives us strength.

For most of my life, I’ve stopped carrying the cross when it felt unsafe, just like I stop adding weight in the gym when it feels unsafe. Safety has its place in life, like in the gym and on the road and behind the controls of an aircraft. But, when you choose to follow Jesus, safety is already guaranteed.
Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1Tim 4:7-8