It's About Who We Be

What if weight loss wasn’t about losing weight? What if being an inspired leader wasn’t about what we did? What if being the best parent or spouse wasn’t about what we said?

What if everything in our life came down to who we are being and how our character is developing to be more like Christ? I will be the first to admit I get caught up in the doing. I have historically been a doer. I have to get stuff done to feel a sense of accomplishment. In fact I get really stressed out when I have too much to do.

HANGING OUT LIKE JESUS

I can get caught up in the doing when I have blogs to write, podcasts to prepare for, vision work for my fitness ministry, exercise program design for my clients. All good stuff for sure. I am not big into wasting time, but often times that leaves me feeling like I don’t have time to just be. To hang out and talk to people. To see what’s going on in others’ lives. To take an opportunity to lead like Jesus would by just being present and modeling radical love by being in relationship.

I think for me it often times is more about self-preservation. I do care deeply about people, but being a deep introvert I feel like I have to conserve my energy. When I minister to my clients through my fitness ministry throughout the day I often times feel pretty wiped out, mentally and physically.

I want to hang out more at the gym I do ministry out of and be a better mentor and leader for the younger trainers and spend more time just being with our members, but often times I am pretty quick to head out the door to go home for a little respite and to “get stuff done.”

JUST BE

This reminds me of the story of Mary and Martha in the Bible. I definitely lean much more to the Martha side of this story and I am asking God to help me be more like Mary.

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38–42

LIFE IS ABOUT LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS

This story is a great reminder to me and all of us that busyness, even when we are doing good things can take us away from what really matters and that is loving God and loving others. Just being. Being in relationship. All of the other stuff is nice and good and there is nothing wrong with it, but if it takes us away from truly being, than we aren’t living the life that we are created to live. Life is about love and relationships.

My prayer for myself and for all of us is that we ask God to help us to focus on who we be and not what we do because it’s in the being that really matters. It’s who we are becoming that really matters. It’s our character development that truly matters in the end. It’s how we are impacting others’ lives and changing the world through our being.

Troy Ismir, MS

Author, Podcaster, Speaker and Spiritual Warrior Coach

troyismir.com

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