Tuesday, December 06, 2005

What does your t-shirt say?


Many of you have probably seen the latest commercial for 24 Hour Fitness. Men and women of all ages running on treadmills, riding stationary bikes, lifting weights or doing sit-ups. It's a commercial that will make you want to get your lazy butt off the couch and do something. The best thing about this commercial is the point they are trying to get across. It shows each person that is working out wearing a t-shirt that has a personal statement on the front. One lady who is riding a bike has my personal favorite, "To lose baby weight"! Amen to that! Other t-shirts read "Ten year reunion", "Turning 30", "To be a princess", "To turn heads". Each one working out who wears the shirt has a reason to be at the gym and this commercial does an excellent job marketing just that! What a way to show that we are all real people who want to be healthy, want to loose weight or want to stay in shape for our own personal reasons. Can you imagine what it would be like walking into a Gym where every single person wore a t-shirt with their own personal mission plastered across the front of their body? Hey, why not?

Just as a Gym is full of people that need a change in their lifestyle or a daily workout to keep what they already have, so is the church! People who need a drastic lifestyle change or people that need the constant fellowship to keep them going, the church is full of both. What if we all wore t-shirts to church that told everyone else why we were really there? Some would read, "To learn more about the Bible", "To have Christian friends", "To get saved". If we were all really honest, other t-shirts might say, "To not be addicted to pornography", "To not be addicted to alcohol", "To not GOSSIP", "To not be judgmental", "To learn to love others", "To not lie", "To have a better marriage", "To be a better parent." The list of possible t-shirts goes on and on and on.

What about you? What does your t-shirt say?

I am wearing mine. "To not care about the approval of others." My t-shirt has something on the back too. "To truly like who I am". On the right sleeve, "To control my anger towards my husband." On the left sleeve, "To raise my children to love Jesus".

I gotta a bunch folks!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow...my shirt would be like yours! My other one would be: on the front, To forgive and forget; sleeve, To be a Godly wife and mother; other sleeve, to walk by faith; and the back; To see others through Jesus' eyes.

Great post...very convicting! Oh, by the way, as a closet baker, I am looking forward to your cooking blog!

Anonymous said...

Oh goodness, my shirt would be covered! Like you it would read, To not worry so much what others think, To be more patient with my family, To have a better understanding of what God's purpose is in my life, To be around the people I love, To learn to trust more...I could go on and on!! You are such an inspiration..you've made me look at things so differently. Amanda, I believe God is using you in so many ways in so many different peoples lives...you are a leader and I admire you just by reading what you have to say!! God Bless you sister!!

Anonymous said...

OK, That was a really good one. My church shirt would say: Keeping my mind on HIM (front)
Follow ME: I'm following HIM (back) Sleeves: Peace on one Joy on the other. I think I would wear a turtle neck and around my neck it would say: Jesus loves me, this I KNOW. My gym shirt would say: Here I am AGAIN. On the back: Laura Archer WannaBe!
Really good blog. I love you. Mom

Anonymous said...

Hi again Amanda -
This is REALLY good - Since I have started reading your blogs I have been thinking about how cool it would be to be able to go to church and be REALLY, REALLY real....
Now I have a group of friends that know my struggles and know everything about me but there are many who don't.
My shirt would be full too -
To help others.
To be more patient with my kids.
To be a better wife.
To get help from others.
Because I need Him.

I could go on and on and on - it would be full.

This was really good today - and what a great idea it would be to have people wear shirts like this to church ;o))

Nancy

Unknown said...

Nancy, I think you are so right! Can you imagine if we REALLY did wear these to church. I think some would be shocking and if I know church people, some would be offended. As I have said in other blogs, Jesus' blood was shed for what is on those t-shirts so we should wear them proudly knowing he's gonna do all He said He would do for us!

Unknown said...

Laura, thank you for saying that God is using me. It's funny because God speaks to me in the most simple ways. I think He speaks to us ALL in different ways. He knows us better than ANYONE so he for sure knows how to cummincate the BEST way with His children. I am honestly just trying to listen to Him and share it with all of you. Thank you again for reading.

Anonymous said...

I will need 2 shirts, pants, sock and shoes!!!

Christy said...

WOW! What a post... I have been working out at the gym and I wonder to myself some times why people are REALLY there... would be a good way to find out. Your posts are inspiring.. my would have to read STOP worrying, be PATIENT, STOP worrying, be PATIENT, STOP worry, be PATIENT!!
Thanks for the smile today!

Anonymous said...

Amanda,
You are a blessing! Thank you for allowing the Lord to use you to bless others. You are very creative and have a unique talent to write very insightfully.
I love to see what the Lord is teaching you and I put your blog on my favorites. He is using you to encourage and edify. Keep strong and keep growing in His grace. We are all on a journey of faith-walking. It is joyous and difficult at the same time, but the goal is to meet Him at the finish face to face. Keep "pressing ON!"