Why I Love the Biggest Loser

Part 3 of my perspective on what makes ministry fulfilling and worthwhile:

I love NBC's The Biggest Loser. I'm not really a regular watcher of the show, but I enjoy watching the premier, and the finale. I know that's not really the kind of fan that the executives over at NBC are excited about, but it's not the show that I love so much as the idea that it represents: It shows that America still believes that people can change. I will admit, for the most part the change that is seen on the show is pretty shallow, but there are some significant life changes that are made as a result of the show. People whose weight was a risk to their health and future literally, in front of millions of Americans, transform into new people with new habits, and a new lease on life.

Isn't that really what faith does for us? We have struggles, fears, habits, and vices in our lives that we feel are impassable (at least on our own) and the Spirit of Christ in us makes us believe that we can change, that we can as the Apostle Paul said "be transformed" (Rom 12:2).

Well, why is it that we can see change in front of us on TV every Tuesday night, but when it comes to our own lives, our families, co-workers, friends, and communities we so quickly throw in the towel of hope and say that there is no way?

It is time for a change in our thinking.

It is time that we begin to believe in the life transforming power of the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is time that we begin to believe the truth, that:
Anyone can change.
Anyone can be saved.
Anyone can be healed.
Any family can be changed by Christ.
Any situation can turn for the good.

In Mark 6 there is a story about Jesus' disciples rowing across the Sea of Galilee when a storm came up and prevented them from crossing easily. Actually by verse 48, I’d be willing to bet these guys didn’t even think they would make it across at all. It was at that darkest moment when Jesus appeared to them (actually he came to them walking on the water). It is interesting to me that Jesus chose to come to them walking on the thing that they were most afraid of at the time: the WATER. They thought they were going to drown, or be overcome by the waves, but Jesus showed that he was greater than their biggest fear.

I think he does the same thing for us today. Sometimes it gets dark and downright frightening. All we can see is the impossibility around us, and we lose hope. But here comes Jesus speaking confidently to us:

"There are no lost causes."

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Have Fun and Laugh A LOT

Continuing on with thoughts of what makes ministry fulfilling and enjoyable:

I have always been one to crack jokes...often at the wrong time (but that will be for a later post). Maybe it's because I am the baby in my family, or simply because I have an aversion for things overly serious, but one of my favorite things in life is to make people laugh, and to laugh myself. There is something healing and powerful about laughter. As proverbs 17:22 puts it, " joyful heart is good medicine."

So overlay this onto the grid of ministry--if we are not having fun and laughing (not all the time, but at least some of the time) then we are building a joyless ministry. WE should be able to laugh at ourselves, and not always expect everyone to be so serious and stuffy all the time. This is what actually keeps many unbelievers from coming to church...they think it is boring and dull, no laughter, no life, no fun (and much of the time they are right).

Now I know that life isn't always fun, but it can be a lot more fun! If we don't have any joy in our lives (visible joy, not just joy inside and a stuffy frown outside) then what in the world are we preaching?

So have fun and laugh a lot, laugh at yourself, hey, even laugh at other people.