An interesting experience on television this time of the year is the Tour de France. It is a 2,600 mile bicycle race featuring again this year some amazing athletes and a remarkable cancer survivor, an American named Lance Armstrong, who is on target to win the race again for a record seven years. We watch these amazing athletes peddle their way through the countryside of France. But there in is a problem – we watch. We sit and watch. Perhaps the symbol of the modern generation of Americans is not a road bike, it is the unused exercise bike. It represents what most of us have – excess weight, too much flesh. It represents what most of us want – to be different. It represents what most people spend most of their time doing – pedaling furiously and getting nowhere. High activity, but low achievement. Going real fast, nowhere. Get the picture? Are you in the picture?
We did a study recently asking the question, how healthy are the people of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Much to my surprise, we found that we are not all healthy at all. We are overweight, smoke, drink to excess, many to the point of obesity. Too many unused exercise bikes. Too many old exercise bikes in garage sales.
Oh, I don’t mean everybody, certainly not you, certainly not Methodists – those individuals who are methodical in life and faith, who are disciplined, but a much too high number of Pensacolians who eat a lot, but exercise little and sit around doing a lot of watching.
If nothing else, at least watch the tour de France on TV and you will burn a few calories watching those guys ride their bikes. They burn 6,000 calories per rider per day for 20 days.
Recently, during the no power time, no TV time, after Hurricane Dennis, I read in the book of Romans where the Apostle Paul instructs the early Christians in Rome saying, “To set your mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit of life is life and peace. For those who live accordingly to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”
I have spent some time on the phrase, “Set your mind on the things of the Spirit.” Although at various points, I have realized that my mind would not focus during the approach, experience and aftermath of Hurricane Dennis. How could I set my mind on the things of the Spirit when tree limbs are down in my yard, the roof leaks, the computer doesn’t work, the refrigerator needs to be cleaned and the neighbor’s dogs are barking? I knew I wasn’t the only one who was unfocused when I watched as Jane cut up bananas for her morning cereal and put them in her coffee. Wisely I just walked off. One of the few times last week that I kept my mouth shut.
But this thought of Paul, set your mind on the things of the Spirit, kept in pursuit of me like a “Bloodhound from heaven.” I realized that Paul had come back to this business again in his letter to the Philippians saying (4:8) “Finally, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Here the Apostle is using the Greek understanding of the importance of a person’s thoughts forming reality. “As a person thinks, so he will be.” Your thoughts shape reality.
So the Apostle is saying fill your mind with good thoughts, healthy thoughts, wholesome thoughts, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
This is why it is important for us to view healthy movies, read healthy books. I have a friend who wanted to lose some weight, so she placed on her refrigerator door a picture of a lovely, thin model and every time she went for a snack, she would see the picture of a thin model and would back away. The only problem was that her husband visited the refrigerator much too often and he started gaining weight. The point is, what you place in your mind will express itself in your life. So, Paul says, whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, gracious, think about these things.”
You want to improve your life? Consider these virtues and do not compromise them, and watch what happens:
Truthfulness
Honorableness
Purity
Graciousness
The pursuit of excellence, choose that which is worthy of praise.
First, Paul says, Think About These Things.
Secondly, do something about them. Put your thoughts into action. Get your exercise bikes out of the corner closet.
In the early 80’s Tom Peters released a book entitled, “The Passion for Excellence.” It focused on efficiency and effectiveness in the work place. It was a prelude of the book, “From Good to Great,” which like “Passion for Excellence” sold millions of copies.
A study of the readers of Peter’s book, “Passion for Excellence” revealed that out of the five million copies sold, only two missions were ever opened and looked at, only 400,000 persons read four or five chapters and only 100,000 out of five million read the book from cover to cover. There were only 25,000 who took notes.
If we want to see improvement in life and faith, then we are going to have to start to “Think On Spiritual Things,” such as that which is truthful, honorable, pure, gracious, excellent, and then we are going to have to do something about our thoughts. It is now time to get our spiritual exercise bikes out of our storage closets!