Man Hands

If you've never used workout equipment, you may not know that it really tears up your hands. There are metal grips that work kind of like cheese graters and scrape skin off. Today, I felt it more than I usually do. Most of you know I have an injury to my pinky. That injury is causing me to use lifting straps, but I have to wrap them really tight, which pushes the cheese grater grips deeper into my hands. This causes pain, but it also just makes my hands look gross. (There's pictures of my hands and calluses at the bottom of this post.)

I'm willing to do it though. I'm willing to mangle my hands and have them get a little torn up and gross because in the end, the glory I'll get for the muscle I've gained will be far better than what that pain and discomfit and grossness is. It's for me. You have all helped me and encouraged me and I'm very grateful. But let's face it, I'm the one getting the glory here.

What Jesus did for you is the exact opposite. This time of year, we celebrate His birth and even that is amazing. He gave up His rights as the King of the universe and stepped down to become the lowly son of a teenage girl and a carpenter. (Talk about a weird episode of Teen Mom!) But not only that, He then lived His life as an example for us. Even though He knew we would screw it all up. The most amazing thing He did though was the death He died.

He was killed as a murderer would be killed, even though He didn't ever do anything wrong. He was whipped and beaten beyond recognition, people spit in His face, and He was mocked worse than anyone ever. All this from people He was trying to save. Then, He was nailed to two splintered pieces of wood. One nail through each wrist, and one through His ankles. They hung Him there to suffocate and die, and He did. The people whom He loved and helped betrayed and crucified Him. He could have stopped it at any moment, but He didn't. Why? For Himself? No.

He did it for you. He didn't do it for His glory, but God the Father's glory. He got nothing. I complain about my hands getting calluses even though I'm receiving the glory. Jesus went through it all, never complained, and it was all for You. Even if you were the only person who ever lived, He would have done it for you. And that's amazing.

He lived. He died. For you.

"He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the L ord laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave." (Isaiah 53:3-9 NLT)

Workout:
All exercises 4x12
Clean pulls - 160 pounds
SLDL - 170 pounds superset with close grip pull down - 110 pounds
Power shrugs - 150 pounds
Smith machine shrugs - 220 pounds
Seated rows - 120 pounds
Reverse flys - 20 pound dumbbells

Best Songs of the Workout:
1. There is Nothing Like by Hillsong United
2. Break the Line by Rapture Ruckus
3. Whom Shall I Fear by Chris Tomlin

Till next time,
Peace and much love.