About 6 months ago I messaged my friend Shane who is a body builder in Omaha and asked him if he knew of anyone in Lincoln who did personal training. I was desperate for a new start in my physical life. He introduced me to Sedric Ashley, a true blessing from God.

Sedric and I would meet at a track and for 45 minutes he’d encourage me and have me do exercises my couch potato body and mind tried telling me “was too hard”. Now Sedric and his business partner, Matt Priess own a gym called FIT4LINCOLN so instead of meeting at a track outside, I go to F4L. Not only does Sedric work out with me, former Marine, Matt does too. They both encourage me to eat right, drink my water and just show up.

Sedric Ashley and Matt Priess, co-owners of Fit4Lincoln

Recently I went through a tough time and instead of exercising my spiritual muscles and pressing forward, I stepped away from God. I closed my Bible and life literally began to fall apart. Just like when I don’t exercise my body and my strength fades, when I closed my Bible, stopped praying and seeking God, my faith muscles became very weak.

Sedric and Matt are constantly tell me that “80% of success is just showing up”. So that is what I’m doing with God. I’m showing up. I’m just sitting down before Him and opening my Bible again in the mornings and throughout my day. Spending time with Him daily. Seeking Him again. And He takes that effort and strengthens me in my walk.

We have to workout our spiritual muscles as well as our physical ones and believe what God tells us in Matthew 26:41 (The Message Bible) “Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”

No more being an old lazy dog sleeping by the fire unaware…not in my physical walk and definitely not in my spiritual walk.