“We are going to do a capacity exercise. You’re going to see what you are capable of doing,” the trainer said. We all wondered what he meant since the exercises were such short increments. This workout entailed riding a bike as fast as one could pedal until the monitor indicated that 6 calories were burned then switch to rest while the partner took a turn at pedaling until collectively we burned 120 calories. Taking turns on and off the bike in short bursts seemed like an easy enough task. Little did we know that pushing that hard would be so exhausting. After a couple rotations, pedaling became harder and muscles were screaming for a break. The number 6 on the monitor became an anticipated indicator as it felt more strenuous to reach at each turn. We all pushed and pushed and cheered one another on beyond what we knew we had the ability to do until each pair reached that 120 mark.  

This intense workout showed a number of things in everyone on a personal level as well as a corporate one. It showed the power of community. Hearing encouragement and the feeling of teamwork kept everyone going when they wanted to give up. The battle of the mind illustrated the power of our thoughts when things get hard. Taking turns demonstrated what could be accomplished with teamwork. No one could have done it alone. 

Our capacity in ministry runs along the same principles. We aren’t meant to do it alone. We need community for encouragement for those times we want to give up. We need an inner strength to push through hard times. Besides surrounding ourselves with healthy people, we also have the Holy Spirit to encourage, to guide, to support, and to comfort us. We are never alone. We will always have Someone cheering us on when we feel like we’ve reached our capacity.  

“If we’re revived by grace and filled with the Holy Spirit, we’re capable of bearing fruit in season and out of season, in fertile ground and in the desert, when life is easy and when it’s not.” Amy Carmichael