What chains are you wearing? Work out playlist Day 4: No Chains on Me

Welcome to 10 Days to an Encouraging Work-Out Playlist: Day 4

Today, I am featuring a unique spiritual exercise I sometimes do while I work-out.

But first, our song for the day! Chris Tomlin gets another spot here at Failures, Faith, and Freckles with “No Chains on Me.”

Another song with a decent jogging beat, No Chains on Me keeps pace with deep spiritual truth. This song was one of the greatest encouragements to me when I ran a 1/2 Marathon. When my body said “quit already, I’m tired,” my spirit found strength knowing that nothing can chain me down from running to Jesus. It motivated me to keep running the race.

During my work-out, lyrics like  “my heart is free, no chains on me,” help me visualize all the things that bind me from being all I can be as a woman of God, like my pride, insecurity, believing in the Devil’s lies. These are my chains, but Christ has broken everyone and given me freedom! (Hint to tomorrow’s song…)

Read the lyrics, then scroll down for a unique exercise to visualize that freedom from bondage.

This is the dream
A dream for the world to see You
A dream for the world to know You
To love Your name

Lift up a shout
Lift up a cry to shake the ground
Shout and the walls are coming down
Yeah, we’re running after You

Like a rolling stone, like a runaway train
No turning back, no more yesterdays
My heart is free, no chains on me

God, You raise me up, up from the grave
With the cross before, I’m on my way
My heart is free, no chains on me

Now is the time
Now is the time for freedom
Abandoned by cold religion
My heart on fire

We hear the sound
The sound of revival coming
The sound of Your people rising
Yeah, we’re running after You

The walls are coming down
Yeah, the walls are coming down
The walls are coming down

Yesterday, I mentioned how I want to lay down my body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). For me, working-out is a symbol of that, because it requires commitment, discipline, and forcing my body to submit: all good reminders for following Jesus Christ as well. While doing crunches the other day, I started laying my sins before God. With each squeeze of my stomach muscles, I confessed another characteristic that needed to be removed or re-shaped: “Lord help me get rid of my pride…. my self-centeredness….. gossip….. gluttony…. laziness…. self-sufficiency…. self-loathing…. lack of submission….. anger….

I asked God to discipline my spirit as I was disciplining my abs.

My amazing accountability partner, Jenny (also a very godly and fit woman), said its a good idea to think about other things than counting reps. Well I found that I lost track of how many crunches I was doing. I just felt the burn in my tummy and the burn in my selfish nature. It was saying “noooooo” but I was doing as Paul says:

“I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:27

With each blow, a chain was loosed. I acknowledge the potential for my own nature to enslave me, but instead, I will make my sin-nature my slave, forcing it to submit and serve the purpose of loving Christ. I am more than a conqueror, both over my flabby tummy, and my fleshly nature!

Catch up on 10 Days to an Encouraging Work-Out Playlist:

Day 1: Undignified by Warr Acres

Day 2: Stronger by Kelly Clarkson

Day 3: Lay Me Down, Passion: White Flag

Day 4: No Chains on Me by Chris Tomlin

Tomorrow……Day 5: Free by Mandisa

… Day 11: Your Choice! I’ll be featuring the songs YOU appreciate most in your work out. Don’t miss out, share your most motivating tune in a comment below!