Here’s an exercise that you can do with your youth group that will make a great point and perhaps segue into additional teachable moments.
Start by having your students get in a place where they can do “dips.” A dip is where you’re sitting on the edge of your chair and you lower your upper body using your arms and then bringing it back up.
Once you’ve got the exercise in your head, lead your group by having them do with you as many as you can for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Make sure they stay with you. Holler out a cadence just like you used to do in gym class so there’s a pace they have to adhere to. After resting for 10 seconds, do as many as you can for another 20 seconds, then rest for 10 and do that for a total of four minutes. (Click here to get an idea of what this exercise looks like.)
Explain to your crew that whenever you exercise, you want to ensure that you’re doing it right. Otherwise, you’re not getting as much out of it as you should. When you do “dips,” for example, you can do them like you just did with a pace and a standard to adhere to, or you can just bend your elbows a little bit and wind up doing mini-dips, which amounts to mini-gains as far as getting stronger and more fit.
The same thing applies in your spiritual life. When you go to church, for example, you can take notes during the sermon, reflect on the words you’re singing as you worship and genuinely engage your heavenly Father. Or you can just show up, wait for the clock to run down and go home content with the idea that you got the church thing out of the way.
Think about your daily quiet time. Are you approaching it with eagerness, or do you just want to get through it?
Perspective and power are just a couple of things you gain by spending time with the Lord, but it’s possible to walk into church the way a lot of people walk into the gym. They’ll drink some water, flip through a couple of magazines, do a few reps and then wonder why they’re not feeling any different after a few weeks of pointless activity. They’re not doing dips, they’re just bending their elbows.
How about you? Are you a muscular Christian? Can you handle the Word of God accurately and with confidence? Can you articulate the benefits of being a Christian? Have you experienced the perspective and power that comes from spending time with your Savior, or are you just going through the motions? Are you doing dips, or are you just bending your elbows?
