“No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:27

Do What You Should

When I was in high school, I played three sports (or at least I practiced for three sports.) My body was young and I was consistently working out with my teammates. Now that I’m a little bit older, and not playing any sport competitively, working out has become a self-perpetuated part of my life. If I don’t do it, I don’t miss a game and my teammates don’t notice.

My body on the other hand tells another story. If I don’t work out regularly, my body suffers, my energy level suffers, and my weight suffers. I was talking to a friend the other day about how, so often, the thing we don’t want to do, most often, we need to do the most.

When I’m feeling depressed or down in the dumps, I may not want to go to church. When I’m tired because I’ve been lying around, watching television and eating chips all the time, I don’t want to go work out. When I have a problem with a friend, I don’t want to confront them. However, often, I begin to see that the thing I don’t feel like doing is often the thing I need to do the most.

How is God working this reality out in your life today?

— Shawn Congleton

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