If any of you know me, you'll know that discipline is not one of my strongest attributes. I am rather laid back and can so easily go with the flow that being disciplined feels somewhat unnatural to me. However discipline is not only good for us but it is commanded to us as well. Hebrews 11:12 tells us that "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
It may seem silly, but I really did find myself this year unhappy with the way I was living my life and my spiritual and physical well-being. I was challenged to make a change, to get disciplined, no matter how hard and uncomfortable it would be.
So I made some changes and started working out consistently. I wasn't doing anything crazy or making any huge changes, but just getting myself out there and running or a dvd in the morning. I found myself fighting it with every fiber of my being though. There were times when I would run and I would literally be standing there in the middle of the road deciding whether I would keep going farther or turning around and heading back home. Other times I would be laying in bed trying to decide if I was going to wake up that extra half hour and sweat my little puddles or sleep and catch a few extra zzz's.
But it was not only in the physical training but in the spiritual training as well. And unfortunately I found this so much harder. I am not someone who would normally choose to sit by myself and read or journal, but I have learned through out my life that a quiet time with the Lord is good and healthy. Like my physical training there were times when I would sit in my room with my Bible in my lap trying to decide whether I was going to read it or not. To admit this and talk about it is actually quite embarrassing! I wish it was something that came naturally and that I loved to do. But at first it was something that I had to literally train myself to do. But the more I spend time and the more consistently I am in the word the more I do crave it and truly love it.
I wish I could tell you that I have it all figured out now, and that I am in the best shape I've ever been in while my relationship is the deepest its ever been, but that would simply not be true. Instead I'm writing to tell you about my work in progress, and the small achievements I have made.
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| my room mate and I before our 5k run |
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| a group of friends after we accomplished our 5k *photo credit to Mr. Gregory |
