"In rhythm."
"Inspired."
Did you know that the word "Inspiration" has two meanings? The first one we're all familiar with: the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something. The second one is a bit more interesting: the drawing in of breath. I've always equated breathing with respiration, but inspiration? Interesting.
Meet Stig Severinsen.
Stig is an accomplished swimmer and free-diver. He's also set numerous world records in breath-holding. He is known in free-diving circles as one of the best in the sport. In 2010, he swam 236 ft under ice, breaking a previously held record set in 2000 by 30 ft. Later in 2010 after inhaling pure oxygen, he held his breath for 20 minutes and 10 seconds. Now, Stig works with athletes and teaches them proper breathing techniques. He writes books, hosts conferences, and trains professional athletes to breath.
There's an interesting dichotomy about Stig in regards to "inspiration." He went from being one of the best in the world at an uninspired sport, to being one of the best inspirational teachers. He went from being known as a breath-holder, to being known as a breath-teacher. From being one of the best underwater, to one of the best above water.
Have you ever tried to hold your breath underwater?
There seems to be three different stages one goes through.
1. Initially, you can submerge into the water and pretend that you don't have to breathe.
2. After a while, you begin to feel and acknowledge the need for breath. At first, you stubbornly fight the urge to breathe, but with time, this urge becomes stronger.
3. As the urge significantly increases, you're no longer able to hold your breath. You surface and gasp at the first opportunity to breathe.
We were created to breathe. Being underwater and holding our breath is unnatural and opposes the way the human body functions. Being underwater is being out of breath, uninspired, and out of rhythm with the way things are supposed to be.
This is about that. This isn't really about breathing, this is about our relationship with God. This isn't about being underwater, it's about embracing God's intended order for creation. This isn't about being inspired (being mentally stimulated), this is about being inspired (the breath of God).
Some of us live in the first stage of breath-holding. We pretend, justify, rationalize, and ignore God's existence and/or order. We do what we want and we're offended when anyone tells us we're "out of order." "How dare anyone tell me how to live my life!"
Some of us live in the second stage of breath-holding. We continue to live in opposition to God, but deep down we acknowledge that something is wrong. Perhaps we open our Bible, attend church or say a prayer as a way to seek something greater in our lives. Although we believe in God, we fail to truly embrace that belief. We continue in our ungodly, underwater, uninspired, out of rhythm ways; but deep down we know we're living in opposition to the Lord.
Some of us have taken a breath. Our souls have been uninspired and out of rhythm for far too long and we've embraced the truth of the Lord. We've not only embraced it, we've given our lives to following its authority. We've committed ourselves to accepting Christ and becoming one of His followers. We're devoted to pursuing the rhythm of Life found in the kingdom of God.
Stig went from being the best at an uninspired sport to being a teacher of inspiration.
The sixth chapter of Isaiah narrates Isaiah's transformation from being uninspired to inspired.
The ninth chapter of Acts narrates Paul's transformation from being uninspired to inspired.
And whether you're pretending you don't have to breathe…
or whether you're stubbornly refusing to breathe…
or whether you've taken a breath…
today, tomorrow and the next day, you can continuously breathe…
be inspired…
and embrace the rhythm of God.
May you breathe.
May you be in rhythm.
May you be inspired.
May you embrace Christ and follow Him with everything you are.
Today.
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