GYM or VIM Spirituality

I have been listening to Cross Point Church Nashville’s pastor, Pete Wilson, in a series that they did last summer called SYNC. You can listen to it on their Podcast through I tunes.

Several times I have heard Pete allude to Dallas Willard’s acronymn for spiritual growth VIM (Vision, Intention, Methodology) where in each of these categories you work toward spiritual growth (Vision= what God created you to be, Intention=the passion and drive to move toward that goal, Methodoly=ordering your world around this vision)

As I went to the gym this morning, I was struck that many of us have GYM spirituality. Let me explain.

A local workout place is a lot like a local church. It’s a gathering point of like minded people, it usually has something going on to attract people, it has “life” seemingly in abundance, and there are a bunch of people who seem like they are making progress toward a goal. That may or may not be true.

Now if you take my analogy of GYM to spiritualilty, there are many times that we walk into the GYM (Local church) and are overwhelmed with all of the things that are suppose to help us grow and change (transform as Pete says it). You can go from activity to activity ( in the gym that would be machine after machine) and be really busy in the GYM (local church) and think that you are making progress--all the while you are doing nothing to make progress toward that vision God has given you for your life. You’re just busy!

If you go into the GYM (local church) without VIM, you’ll certainly be swallowed in a maze of things that are good. Don’t get me wrong, but are they the kind of things that move you towards your spiritual growth? I think we seriously have to stop and ask these questions of the GYM (local church).

Instead, we have to own our own spirituality (our spiritual health) and make a plan that helps move us along the path of growth. What I’m advocating here is a specified plan where you seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in what your VIM should be. Then go and do that!

The most successful people in the local GYM are the ones who have a plan to grow. They stick to it with great passion and great devotion. They measure their life by it. They order their world around it. They become the VIM that they see in their life and what the Holy Spirit reveals to them.

What do you think? Maybe instead of the church offering GYM memberships, we could offer VIM memberships where Christ followers are challenged to own their own spirituality--and not leave it up to the local GYM to do it for them.