God can help burn off those spiritual calories

By Cindy Jury

I was on the treadmill keeping a steady pace of 3.5 when I overheard two women talking loudly. I didn’t see their faces, as we were side by side. I took a much-needed gulp out of my water bottle. As I was replacing the cap, it fumbled out of my grasp and almost got stuck under my shoe. It then catapulted off the back of my treadmill like a rocket blasting off. So much for having the grace of an athlete. Seemingly unaware of my awkwardness, the women’s voices were picking up a speed of their own. I regained my composure and moved up to 4.0. Their conversation grew even louder. They must have been doing at least 7.5! They seemed to be talking about a mutual acquaintance. I was wishing I had a magazine to read and turned around to see if there were any. I should have kept my eyes on the road, because I lost my balance and nearly tripped off the machine. As I was recovering my footing, the two exercise gurus’ discussion intensified. There appeared to be some problems, and they seemed genuinely concerned about the person in question. One woman was considering going to her friend directly; the other shared that she didn’t like confrontation. The runner on the far right replied, “Well, I don’t like confrontation, either, but it depends on the way someone tells me.”

My competitive nature came out and I decided to speed up to join their pace. I could only make it to 5.0. They grew silent. I wondered if it had something to do with the pounding in my ears or the sweat trickling down my face. Maybe it was my heavy panting. Maybe they were concerned for my health. Honestly, they probably didn’t even notice me at all. I slowed down and decided to go for distance instead of heart rate. The women continued their exchange and I purposely tuned them out. I found myself lost in my own thoughts as I asked myself this question: How do we approach relationships when we have conflict? The Bible speaks to us on this matter. We should go to God first. I don’t think that venting to God is considered gossip. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect. Going to him reminds us that we are all imperfect and that he is the judge.

If love is not easily offended, we might try to practice overlooking offenses when possible. But if you still feel that there is something you need to share, then the Bible does tell us to speak the truth in love. Keep in mind that sometimes what we consider truth is a matter of perspective. Sometimes we can agree to disagree. As the woman wearing the pink Nikes had pointed out, she didn’t mind confrontation as long as she felt cared-for when presented with that person’s opinion. Even the most beautiful words can sound ugly if they aren’t motivated by love. On the flip side, what about when people speak the truth to us? As the woman in the blue Reeboks said, “Confrontation is hard.”

Sometimes we are corrected. How do we respond to this? Are we able to take an honest look at ourselves and see where we might consider changing? True self-introspection can be an emotional workout, and you can feel the burn. But with God’s strength, we can build spiritual muscle. The hope is that we can be patient, loving, forgiving and real with each other. There are risks in being honest. The outcome with people is uncertain. However, the outcome with God is certain. He will always love, accept and forgive us if we just ask.