My friend Al joined Cross Fit on January 1.

For the uninitiated, Cross Fit is a specialized fitness regimen that’s both physical exercise as well as a competitive fitness sport. Cross Fit workouts typically incorporate elements from high-intensity interval training, Olympic weightlifting, power lifting, and other disciplines. As you may have surmised Cross Fit is not for those who take commitment lightly. Just the opposite. Cross Fit devotees are known for their rabid focus on fitness, paying close attention to what they eat, how much they sleep, and obviously how much they train.

Now back to my friend Al. He is no slouch when it comes to physical fitness. He was a college athlete, he watches his diet, and he worked out regularly even before joining Cross Fit.

But Al joined back in January because he felt it was time to take his body to the next level, to push himself to new limits, and to see just how fit he could be. And in the last two months he’s done just that, slimming down, toning up, and making some improvements of which he’s genuinely proud.

Today you and I enter Lent.  It is our spiritual Cross Fit. This holy season encourages us to do something similar to what Al did: to take an already vibrant and active spiritual life, and take it to the next level.

We’re not talking about push-ups and bench presses, rather the kinds of exercises that build our spiritual lives, things that make us more loving, more generous, more kind, more forgiving, more helpful to our neighbor, and more Jesus-minded than we already are. 

After all, the best way to do kind, giving, and sacrificial things is to be a kind, giving, sacrificial person. May the Lord grant us insight and strength as to how we might use this holy season to do just that.