“For physical exercise is profitable for a short time; but godliness is profitable for everything, having the promise of life–of the life that now is, and of the life that is coming” (1 Timothy 4:8 AFV)
“I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT)
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV)
I have always loved a good buffet. However, buffets have not returned the love. It seems it has always been a one sided relationship, leaving me weighed down (pun intended). I have played every mind game available to convince myself that my ongoing issues with weight have nothing to do with my behavior. You know the routine; slow metabolism, big bones, thyroid, genetics, etc. These factors may weigh in for some people (like the wording?), but not for me. For me it all boils down to misplaced love, and lack of control.
I have always been in favor of daily exercise. Every day I do one sit up, the first half when I wake up in the morning, the other half when I go to bed at night. I do multiple chin ups each day, a spoon or fork up from the plate to my chin. I jog to and from the refrigerator. And I love leg lifts, especially while in my favorite recliner. Yet, even with all of this attention given to daily exercise I seem to remain in a constant battle with obesity.
Bottom line: if my body gets in the way of my being able to fulfill the purposes and assignments the Lord has for my life I need to do something about it. It may be weight, lust, laziness, or a number of other “silent killers.” I wish I could tell you that I have an easy “quick fix,” but I don’t. “Quick fixes” rarely last. How many people have you known that have taken a short cut to success only to end up in an even worse place down the road? The discipline and character developed through good old fashioned hard work will last a life time.
The Apostle Paul beat his body into submission so that he would not be disqualified (fail to complete his assignment). I have been doing the same since January 2018 and have lost 120 pounds (on my journey to lose 200 pounds) in order to regain the physical strength to do what the Lord has given me to do. If I can do it anyone can. Tomorrow I will share how I have done it as we look at part 2 of…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 14: “Buffet (exercise) or Buffet (all you can eat), the choice is yours.”