It was one of “Those” mornings. I woke up a little later than normal, my allergies were bad, the temperature had dropped 20 degrees, it was raining a little, and I just didn’t feel like walking. I looked out the window and didn’t see one person walking, running or biking. I felt as if I had plenty of excuses not to go for a walk. It wasn’t too bad just to sit down, and read my Bible and pray that morning. Yet in my mind I knew I should walk. God had told me in the Word that I needed to keep this temple, that is my body (I Corinthians 6:19) under subjection (I Corinthians 9:27) and my way of doing that was by walking. The doctors had verified it was good for weight control, it helped with blood pressure, and was important for good health. There was no doubt a walk was good for me but I didn’t feel like it on that morning. As I sat there with my coffee and doughnut, I rationalized, argued and excused my unwillingness. I had all the excuses of the first paragraph and so I thought maybe I’ll just pray. After all God is able to keep me healthy. He wants me well so I can serve Him, so I just explained to Him I’m just too busy this morning to take a walk and He’ll just have to zap me with the effects of exercise and give me good health. After all, God should understand I just don’t feel like walking this morning. Then I thought that is just the way I am as a disciple of Jesus. The relationship I have with Jesus as His follower requires discipline, a daily choice, an act of my will, a commitment to what Jesus said I should do. If I am going to be a strong healthy follower of my Lord Jesus Christ I must develop discipline in my life. I know I can only grow by daily reading and obeying the Scriptures, through prayer, and daily witness but this doesn’t happen in my life just because I know I should do this or that it is good for me. It happens because I choose to do these things even when I don’t feel like it. I can come up with excuses, I can even pray God will zap me with spiritual growth, but the fact is, I won’t grow without the discipline of life, without the deliberate choice of doing what God’s Word says. It is good for my growth as a Christian. So that day I made myself take a walk. I wish I could say that the sun came out, that I had a spectacular sight, or that when I got back I felt better about it. The walk was very uneventful, just a good duty done, a part of the discipline of my life. It was good for me. I’ve read my Bible and nothing had really stood out to me, prayed and it seemed my words didn’t reach the ceiling, and gone through the day ____?____ in my witness and wondered if maybe it was a waste of time. No, I was good for me, it is the discipline of a healthy spiritual life. I’ve learned to walk with discipline, I’m learning to grow through it too. I walk because I choose to walk, not always because I feel like it. I keep a relationship with Jesus the same way.
The Lord bless you,
Pastor Thomas
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