{"id":3283,"date":"2024-10-05T20:56:27","date_gmt":"2024-10-05T20:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/?p=3283"},"modified":"2025-01-05T13:21:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-05T13:21:12","slug":"muscular-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/?p=3283","title":{"rendered":"Muscular Mindset"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/strenuous-life.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2239\" src=\"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/strenuous-life.jpg\" alt=\"strenuous-life\" width=\"300\" height=\"118\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<em>\u2026I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desire mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.<sup>1<\/sup><\/em> (Teddy Roosevelt)<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Muscular Christianity&#8221; is organized according to three, broad tenets:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Know What You Believe and Why<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; be able to articulate what you believe and why you believe without sounding hesitant (1 Peter 3:15)<\/li>\n<li><strong>All Things at All Times<\/strong> &#8211; God is the Filing Cabinet and not a mere, File Folder (2 Cor 9:8)<\/li>\n<li><strong>It&#8217;s Not About You<\/strong> &#8211; His Agenda, His Timing, His Resources.\u00a0You benefit by subordinating yourself to God and to others. In other words, it\u2019s not about you and that\u2019s a good thing (Phil 2:3-4)!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Taken together they serve as a solid, theological foundation that is simultaneously both practical and logical. It\u2019s unfortunate that much of what translates to something that\u2019s legitimately motivating and beneficial gets lost in the midst of a conventional perspective that limits a relationship with Christ to either a Divine Emergency Procedure or a Sanctified Insurance Policy \u2013 supernatural options reserved for crisis situations and funeral arrangements. That\u2019s not what Christ intended. He defined eternal life as \u201cknowing God (Jn 17:3)\u201d and when you make a point of positioning Him as your Motivation for everything you say, think and do, the resulting Standard of Excellence is downright inspiring. So, what does the day \/ mindset of a \u201cMuscular Christian\u201d look like? Here&#8217;s some Biblical scaffolding that answers that question, as far as how you&#8217;re &#8220;thinking&#8221; throughout the day in order to accommodate a godly perspective that is as Powerful (Phil 2:13) as it is Practical (2 Cor 9:8):<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Reveille<\/span> &#8211; Morning! It\u2019s a good day It\u2019s not about the mistakes of the past (Lam 3:22-23), it\u2019s not about what\u2019s looming on the horizon (Matt 6:34), it\u2019s about the fact that I\u2019m upright, God\u2019s got a Plan (Jer 29:11; Phil 2:13), I\u2019m destined for great things (Eph 2:10) and it\u2019s going to be a great day (Ps 118:24).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Holy Ghost Briefing<\/span> \u2013 I follow the example of my King in that I spend some time with my Heavenly Father at the top of the day (Mk1:35). I don\u2019t just race through a couple of theological sounding thoughts, I take the time to consume some Truth and I pray in a way that combines reverence, intercession and appeals (John 1:8; Matt 6:9-13). I\u2019m training to be godly and not just going through some spiritual looking exercises (1 Tim 4:7).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Keeping my Body Tight<\/span> \u2013 my body is God\u2019s Temple. It doesn\u2019t need to be the size of Atlanta nor does it need to be a feather pillow. And my age doesn\u2019t matter. If I\u2019ve got a metabolism like that of a racecar, I\u2019m still watching what I eat. And if it takes a little longer to get my muscles warmed up, that doesn\u2019t matter either. I\u2019m a pointless, puddle of perspiration when I train and I\u2019m not clogging my pipes with ludicrous carbohydrates either. I don\u2019t look at it as an obligation, I see it as an invitation to be excellent and in that way I\u2019m an effective commercial for my King on top of being able to enjoy all the benefits that go along with looking my best and being able to perform at 100% capacity. Dig that!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Kiss on the Cheek<\/span> \u2013 Depending where I\u2019m at in my life, I\u2019m either kissing my Mom and Dad goodbye as I\u2019m heading out the door, or I\u2019m kissing my bride and my kids goodbye. Regardless, I honor them and I treat them as the priority treasures that they are (Eph 5:22- 6:1-4; 1 Pet 3:7).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Work \/ School<\/span> \u2013 I\u2019m knocking it out of the park! I\u2019m bringing my \u201cA\u201d game to whatever it is that I\u2019m doing (Col 3:23) and I benefit because people are drawn to excellence and \/ or those who pursue it.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Going South<\/span> \u2013 not everything works out the way I prefer. Sometimes my heart gets broke, sometimes I get angry. But rather than careening off into an emotional ditch, I reign my passions in and bring them under the Umbrella of my Savior\u2019s Purpose, Peace and Power. The clouds don\u2019t always clear, but the Son\u2019s given a chance to break through the cloud cover and there\u2019s enough Light to justify an even disposition and a genuinely optimistic outlook (Rom 8:28; Phil 4:6-8).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Riding Off into the Sunset<\/span> \u2013 the day is done, but actually it\u2019s not. I\u2019m not just collapsing in front of the TV. Maybe I\u2019ve got homework, maybe I\u2019ve got some other commitments but I\u2019m still engaged right up to the point when my head hits the pillow. It\u2019s called \u201cdiligence (Prov 12:24).\u201d Clean up after yourself (Dt 23:12-14), take care of any chores or admin, read a book (\u201cTo lead, you must read.\u201d [Theodore Roosevelt])<sup>2<\/sup>, invest some time in other people, invest some time in improving yourself (Phil 2:3-4).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">A Good Night\u2019s Sleep<\/span> \u2013 now you\u2019re done. And you can look forward to a good night\u2019s sleep (Ps 127:2). There\u2019s always going to be something else to do, there\u2019s often something on your mind, but the \u201cMuscular Christian\u201d is giving the keys to his Heavenly Father as part of being a \u201cresponsible driver.\u201d It\u2019s not that you\u2019re incapacitated. Rather, you\u2019re wise enough to know that it\u2019s God Who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose and provided your obedience is in place, you can rest well knowing that it\u2019s all good (Rom 8:28; Phil 2:13).<\/p>\n<p>The quote from Theodore Roosevelt that\u2019s referenced at the beginning of this devotional refers to a life that is \u201cstrenuous.\u201d At first brush, it may be tempting to process \u201cstrenuous\u201d as being strained or stressed. It\u2019s not. \u201cThe Strenuous Life\u201d is the life of a Hardcharger. It\u2019s the approach taken by a Muscular Christian. It means that you\u2019re engaged, motivated and productive for all the Right Reasons (Matt 5:16) and utilizing all of the Right Resources (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor 2:16; Col 1:27). It\u2019s the practical manifestation of the Divine Life that proceeds from knowing God (Jn 17:3).<\/p>\n<p>Below is a spreadsheet that you peruse every morning that includes all of the verses \/ themes referenced above. Read through the verses everyday and start each day by getting your spiritual tires aligned in a way that positions you for some quality Gains (2 Cor 3:18) and some true Success (Josh 1:8):<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table style=\"height: auto; width: 800px; margin: auto; border-collapse: separate; border-radius: 6px; -moz-border-radius: 6px; background-color: #ffffff;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: middle; background: transparent;\" colspan=\"6\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/new_logo_rgb_blog.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"253\" height=\"102\" \/><\/td>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: middle; background: transparent;\" colspan=\"5\">\n<div style=\"float: right;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">The Mindset of a Muscular Christian<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #cccccc;\">Theme<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #cccccc;\">\u2713<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #cccccc;\">Monday<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #cccccc;\">\u2713<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #cccccc;\">Tuesday<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #cccccc;\">\u2713<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #cccccc;\">Wednesday<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #cccccc;\">\u2713<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #cccccc;\">Thursday<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #cccccc;\">\u2713<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #cccccc;\">Friday<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Morning!<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Lam+3%3A22-23&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lam 3:22-23<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Matt+6%3A34&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matt 6:34<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Jer+29%3A11&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jer 29:11<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Phil+2%3A13&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Phil 2:13<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Eph+2%3A10&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eph 2:10<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Holy Ghost Briefing<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Mk+1%3A35&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mk 1:35<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Jn+1%3A8&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jn 1:8<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Matt+6%3A9-13&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matt 6:9-13<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1+Tim+4%3A7&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 Tim 4:7<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=2+Tim+2%3A15&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2 Tim 2:15<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Keeping Your Body Tight<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1+Cor+6%3A19-20&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 Cor 6:19-20<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=rom+6%3A12-14&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rom 6:12-14<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Prov+23%3A2&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prov 23:2<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Prov+12%3A1&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prov 12:1<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Eph+5%3A1&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eph 5:1<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kiss On the Cheek<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Eph+5%3A22&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eph 5:22<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Eph+6%3A1-4&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eph 6:1-4<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1+Pet+3%3A7&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 Pet 3:7<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Prov+29%3A15&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prov 29:15<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Prov+6%3A20&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prov 6:20<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Work \/ School<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Col+3%3A23&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Col 3:23<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Ecc+9%3A10&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ecc 9:10<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Matt+5%3A16&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matt 5:16<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Col+3%3A17&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Col 3:17<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1+Cor+3%3A12-13&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 Cor 3:12-13<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Going South<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Phil+4%3A6-8&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Phil 4:6-8<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Matt+6%3A34&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matt 6:34<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Rom+8%3A28&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rom 8:28<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Rom+8%3A32&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rom 8:32<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=IS+30%3A21&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Is 30:21<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Riding Off Into the Sunset<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Prov+12%3A24&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prov 12:24<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Dt+23%3A12-14&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dt 23:12-14<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Phil+2%3A3-4&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Phil 2:3-4<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Prov+6%3A6&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prov 6:6<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Prov+20%3A4&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prov 20:4<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>A Good Night&#8217;s Sleep<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Ps+127%3A2&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ps 127:2<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Rom+8%3A28&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rom 8:28<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Phil+2%3A13&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Phil 2:13<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Is+41%3A10&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Is 41:10<\/a><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Ps+37%3A5-6&amp;version=HCSB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ps 37:5-6<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>You&#8217;ll see some of what&#8217;s discussed in this post expanded upon in the devotional material included with the &#8220;Muscular Christianity: 90 Day Workout Plan.&#8221; Thing is, you don&#8217;t want to limit it to a three month training period. Being able to explain what you believe and why, applying all that Christ offers to every aspect of your life and establishing God as both the Target and the Source of your ambition is a lifelong dynamic. In other words, it&#8217;s not just a timeframe characterized by a spike in spiritual disciplines and physical training. It&#8217;s a mindset &#8211; the mindset of a &#8220;Muscular Christian!&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2026I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desire mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3285,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[23,25,31],"class_list":["post-3283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-muscular-christianity","tag-discipleship","tag-muscular-christianity","tag-theodore-roosevelt"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3283"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3475,"href":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283\/revisions\/3475"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}