Have you exercised recently?

I recently read that our faith is something that needs to be exercised in order for it to grow. I will be honest, the mention of the word exercise stirs up many emotions in me and none of them are very good or happy. My husband and my children are very active! They love and play several different sports and they work hard at learning to be better athletes. I am active in other ways. My activities include vigorous cleaning, running up and down stairs to do laundry, running the kids to school or activities and walking up and down the grocery store aisles. I know these are not technically the best way to exercise and they are not really helping my body, but some days that is all I can manage.

So, when I read that we need to exercise our faith, I wasn't entirely happy. But I will say, I was somewhat relieved. I have often wondered how others seem to have so much more faith than I do. It didn't seem right that God would give some an extra helping, while others are getting the leftovers.


Mark 7:24-30
The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman 
Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 

"First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

This passage confused me for a while. Why are they talking about dogs and table scraps? There is a  sweet child out there possessed by a demon! Jesus, do something!

But, we need a little background in order to understand this story. He was a Jewish man. She was a Gentile woman. She had two strikes against her. In that time, she was at the bottom of the food chain (the dogs). Women, especially Gentile, women were not supposed to approach a Jewish leader, such as Jesus. But her child was home, suffering. She got word that Jesus was in town, and she had heard stories about the miraculous healings he had performed. She decided that her child was worth going against the social etiquette. She stepped out on faith.

Now, I don't think that Jesus was calling this woman a dog as a put down. I think he was helping her exercise. She had risked coming to see him, which was the warmup part of her exercise. She begged him to heal her daughter, which was the first part of her workout (she was still fresh and motivated). He questioned her request. She had to keep her eyes on her goal. She needed her daughter healed and had faith that he was the one to do it. She asked for just a little bit of what he had and that was the last part of the workout. She could have quit halfway through, but she didn't.

He daughter was healed. Her faith was strengthened. As a woman and a mother, she was heard, recognized and confirmed. But, none of this would have happened if she had stayed home with her daughter hoping for a miracle. God can, and does, perform miracles everyday. But, we have to leave the house! We have to take the first few steps on faith. We have to go out into the world. God is waiting and He is faithful, but it is our choice to get moving!

At times, I go through seasons of faithful exercise, they don't usually last long and then I am back to going without. I feel so much better and stronger when I do get regular exercise, but I don't make it a priority. The same, goes with my faith. There are days I feel strong and others where I haven't done the work.

I have a few things on my to do list that I have been avoiding! I am off to do them now. I am stepping out on faith and I know that God is waiting there for me to show up.

Heavenly Father, you are so good and faithful and patient. Thank you for calling me toward you and helping me grow in your love. Help me to see the opportunities that you have prepared for me, to exercise my faith. I know that you are with me and that you are guiding me through it all. Thank you Jesus, that you know exactly what I need to become more like you. Amen.

Please leave a comment and let me know what you are going to do to exercise today.