The Murph

I’m writing this piece on the morning of Memorial Day, and earlier today I attempted what is affectionately known as “The Murph” - a workout traditionally done for Memorial Day named after Michael P. Murphy, a Navy Seal who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2005. The workout is simple on paper - one mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, one mile run. To make this somewhat doable for my 43-year-old body, I divided the workout into 20 intervals of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats. The first half (10 intervals) went pretty well, but soon afterwards I was unable to do a full pull-up. When I eventually finished, the final one mile run felt impossible.
Like all physical workouts, there is a mental aspect. When your weary body feels exhausted but there are still 8 or 9 intervals left, you must mental convince yourself to keep going. It’s a real mind-over-matter situation. In addition, 20 intervals is a lot! You know nothing is going to change - it’s still pull-ups, push-ups, & squats - one interval to the next, nothing changes, you just have to do it over and over again.
Now, on one hand, grueling workouts like this are done on Memorial Day to help remind us of the incredible sacrifice that so many have made for this country. It boggles my mind that “giving your life for your country” is something that would ever be needed - but in a world dominated by sin, injustice, and grasping for power, we know that these conflicts have marked humankind for our entire history. Therefore, as I enjoy countless little freedoms and blessings, I do want to pause and give thanks for those who were willing to make those sacrifices.
On the other hand, this type of workout reminded me of the end of the book of Jude. As Jude encourages Christians towards faithfulness in the Christian life, he writes:

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. - Jude 20-21

Build yourself up. Pray. Keep yourself in the love of God. Wait.
Build yourself up. Pray. Keep yourself in the love of God. Wait.
Build yourself up. Pray. Keep yourself in the love of God. Wait.
Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly - over and over and over and over again.
10 reps of building yourself up.
20 reps of prayer.
15 reps of keeping yourself in the love of God.
And in-between, as you bend over, hands on your knees to catch your breath, wait. Wait for Jesus.
How do we build ourselves up? How do we keep ourselves in the love of God?
You already know! It’s just like the Murph - there’s nothing new here. You build yourself up in faith and you keep yourself in the love of God by doing what you’ve always done. Read your Bible. Confess and remove your sin. Surround yourself with Christian community. Relentlessly attend church to worship with the stains. Take the Lord’s Supper. Share the
gospel.
Whoa, whoa. That sounds a little legalistic, Josh. Is it all on me to build myself up? Doesn’t God love me no matter what - why do I have to keep myself in his love?
Just as Jude says that you must “keep yourself in the love of God” (v. 21), he says that God is “able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory.” (v. 24).
So, we keep ourselves in the love of God, day by day, rep after rep, fully confident that God is keeping us in his love.

- Josh Light