On Saturday, I was working out with 20 guys when suddenly one of the guys stopped to throw-up…but by the end of the workout he sprinted passed me to finish second.  I had hoped he hadn’t received a nickname, as I felt he should be called “Boot&Rally.”

But as we fist pumped in the parking lot, impressed by his recovery and determination to finish strong, I wondered why does our culture cheer the Boot&Rally mentality?

I think it is because we want to see someone who has gotten knocked down get up again and fight harder.  We cheer for Rocky and not Ivan Drago.  Why?

I believe this is because God has engrained this story deep into our psyches.  We are drawn to these narratives because that is God’s Story.  In Scripture we see that He is a Boot&Rally God.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God booted himself out of heaven to come to earth as Jesus Christ.  In fact, it wasn’t enough to put on the nasty, smelly human flesh, but Jesus went further into the depths–He smeared our brokeness all over Himself, taking on our punishment on the cross.  He was obedient to the point of death, Paul tells us.

Yet, then He rallied.  He rallied past Satan’s grip, he emptied the tomb, and conquered death for us.  In the end, He sprinted out in front of us, clearing the path, and challenging us to finish strong.

This Boot&Rally story gives us hope:  That we are going to screw up, we are going to stumble, we will sin and boot all over ourselves; yet God has the power to restore us, washing the vomit off of us so in the end we may be stronger.  Just as the guy on Saturday said, he needed to clear out the junk in his life to feel better and finish.

So well done to folks who Boot&Rally in their fitness workouts, but are you willing to Boot&Rally in your faith workouts as well?

For its never to late.