Recently, I've found myself drawing great parallels between how I try to run my Beachbody business, and how I lead my life as a Christian. We have been talking in my life group (and as a church as a whole) lately about starting conversations that will lead to a greater end of talking about Jesus and telling our story. And it has struck me how amazingly similar that conversation feels to how Beachbody teaches our coaches to talk to others about Beachbody. It's all about a relationship, developing a deeper connection, and stepping out of your comfort zone to help another person in need, whether it's a physical, mental, financial, social, or spiritual need.
Beachbody coaches follow 4 vital behaviors, so I'm going to break down the parallels that I've found by those four behaviors, and maybe give you a little insight into my OWN story, both with Beachbody and with Jesus, as well as a sneak peek into how a successful coach runs a business based on love.
First, you HAVE to be a product of the product. You can't expect anyone to do something that you, yourself, are not willing to do. And, you can't expect someone to try something that you can't personally attest works for you. In my Beachbody business, that means I'm consistently using Beachbody products and showing the results. I can't sit at home and eat pizza all day but expect my challengers to meal prep and watch their container counts. It just doesn't work that way and I find that when I am more consistent with my own health and fitness, my business runs better too. More people reach out to me for help (be it through a free group or through an actual program and Shakeology) and I'm able to offer more support to them and my previous challengers.
So how does this work in my Christian life? I have to use what I'm "selling." I can't just rely on going to church once a week and then go home and forget about it. Pastor Corts says that our walk with Christ is not a "moment" but a "movement." We HAVE to display our faith consistently. Why would anyone want to join me in my Christian walk if I'm constantly using profanity, miserable about all the world hands me, and doing things that are not of God? KNOWING that, until very recently, those things were prevalent in my life, there has to be a CHANGE. I'm not selling those values anymore, so the change has to be visible. I have to display JOY in the midst of sorrow and triumph through the hard times, WHILE giving God the glory. I have to do those things THROUGH Christ, not independent of Him. And that has to be evident.
For the past two years, I have not been involved in church, I stumbled, and allowed myself to get out of the habit. My daughter did not know who Jesus was or to close her eyes during family prayers. I never made the outward decision to leave church and not come back, it just happened because I wasn't consistent and I didn't have it as a goal in my life. My personal spiritual setback is my testimony, though. I grew up in church, I don't have a grandiose over the top Come to Jesus story where I was involved with drugs sex and rock-n-roll. But I have MY story, and it's time to start sharing it more. Which leads me to....
With Beachbody, when we mention inviting someone, we consider any conversation an invitation. Even if Beachbody, or even health and fitness, does not come up. It's really more about a relationship. Getting to know others, their goals, and how you can help them achieve something in their life, is really what changing lives is all about. We truly value our friends and families and want to foster those relationships. I say this being aware that I have TOTALLY jumped straight into a conversation of "hey do you want to try x product? I saw you posted about wanting to achieve x and it worked for me!" Um. I'm trying to break that habit, because it's NOT effective. It's all about planting seeds with LOVE, and continuing to water them by being there and ready when someone is ready to accept the help that you offer. Trust me, that approach is much easier than "hey girl, you wanna lose some weight?" (Pretty sure that gets you blocked. Understandably blocked.)
It's the same with Jesus. Most people who are not involved in church, are not involved in church for a reason and are NOT looking to be preached to. I know this because I was there. Those two years that I was not at church? I was being preached to. Each time I talked to a certain person, it came up, it was uncomfortable, and I didn't want to hear it. It did nothing to help me get back to church. But that's not to say we don't need to bring it up at some point. The point has to come when the opportunity naturally presents itself, and with prayer, it WILL present itself. It could come seemingly out of the blue, or it could naturally come up. But with trust that God will give you the words to say and the will to do what he puts in your heart to do, the opportunity will present itself and will become more and more natural feeling. Again, it's about planting seeds with LOVE, and then continuing to water them.
Sharing your own personal story (hello, vital behavior number 1) helps a LOT to have people come to you, but you also need to be willing to START the conversation. Even if it's just a conversation, a "hey how's it going" or "wanna grab coffee?" Beating someone over the head, be it with a company or with the cross, doesn't work for anyone. You HAVE to start with the relationship, and you HAVE to lead with love.
Personal development can come in so many forms. And it's the vital behavior that I struggle with the most. Even devoting ten minutes of my day to reading up on confidence boosters or product knowledge or stepping out of my comfort zone is usually the LAST thing on my to do list daily, but it's, um, VITAL. As said before, when I'm consistent with it, my business is consistent. Sometimes it comes in the form of listening to podcasts, sometimes it's a book, a blog, a video, an article... But it needs to happen daily.
Guess what? The same is true for my spiritual life. I am nothing if I am not in the word daily. And it can come in the same forms. Podcast. Devotional. Bible. Blog. Video. Music. But make sure that whatever you're consuming is God-centered and directed toward something in your life. (Don't worry, this blog entry can count. I asked God. He said He'd lead what I write.) Remember, it's a "movement" not a "moment"? So that means you need to be in the Word daily. Guess what else? This is the thing that I struggle with the most. But when I'm doing it, I'm where I need to be. Especially if I can start my day in the Word or in worship.
For Beachbody, recognition is the newest of the vital behaviors and becomes more vital once you are a little more established in your coaching career. As in, you have a few people to actually recognize. But it can relate to just about anything. You could recognize your own coach for helping you with something, another coach for inspiring you, a friend for an NSV (non-scale victory), someone for staying consistent with their workout, a mommy who made time for herself... whatever! It doesn't have to be huge, just a little shout out to those who are putting in the work. This helps boost each other up, but also helps show the COMMUNITY that we share within Beachbody, letting others know that we provide support and love on each other.
And as a Christian, the ultimate recognition needs to go back to God. I have an amazing friend Karen (hey Karen!!!) who I have been planning out a little shout out for, but I KNOW that she will pass that recognition on to God, because that's who she is, and that's who HE is, and that's who the real recognition should go to. Everything needs to reflect Him. Every victory, belongs to Him. And that's where the real recognition will always ultimately go. But it doesn't mean that we don't give shout outs to the Earthly representation of Jesus in our friends and family. Thanking them for allowing God to work THROUGH them, for stepping out to share His words, and for feeding us when we were hungry (sometimes spiritually, sometimes physically) does wonders to foster the community of God and to show others the support within the church because, honestly, that is often the big turnoff: that someone was not supported in the church.
The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today
Is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips
Then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle.
That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.
Is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips
Then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle.
That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.
-DCTalk
What If I Stumble?
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