God’s Glory Reconciles : Just Show Up
READY:
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
James 4:8a (ESV)
SET:
Lying in bed, I watch the clock tick closer to my gym’s group class start time.
30 minutes. 20 minutes.
If I’m going, I need to decide now—brush my teeth, throw on workout clothes, and sprint to the gym.
I’m tempted to check the Workout of the Day (WOD) in my gym app, hoping it’s a routine I love.
But a quiet voice cuts through: Just do it.
I know if I go, I’ll tackle whatever’s planned.
My gym’s programming is solid, and I always leave glad I showed up.
Spending time with God is much the same.
I want to pray and read my Bible daily, but distractions—doorbells, random texts, wandering thoughts—pull me away.
Yet, every time I show up, God meets me.
He listens, speaks, and nourishes my soul.
I never regret it.
In both fitness and faith, the hardest part is often just showing up.
We may not always feel ready or enthusiastic, but something powerful happens when we overcome our flesh and step in anyway!
More often than not, showing up both physically and spiritually has lagged measures.
Muscle strength is increasing, spiritual tank is being refilled but we do not feel it.
In the process, we discover that God is constantly drawing us near.
His glory meets us not because we’ve earned it, but because He delights to restore us.
Every act of showing up becomes a doorway to intimacy.
Here’s the truth: both exercise and spiritual devotion are acts of the will.
It’s not about feeling ready or thinking it through every day.
It’s about choosing to act.
But my will isn’t perfect.
Some days, I falter.
Praise God for Philippians 2:13:
“It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
Philippians 2:13
By His grace and Spirit, He strengthens us to keep going.
GO:
- What helps you stay consistent with exercise? How can that inform your spiritual habits?
- How will you carve out daily time to draw near to God?
- When your will feels weak, how is God helping you to draw near? Take a moment to thank Him for His faithful love.
- Who might God be calling you to show up for—to reflect His reconciling glory to others?
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