I'll admit it. I like to exercise. Plugging in the iPod or watching ESPN to distract myself from what I'm doing and I enjoy it. But I don't love it. I'm not rocking some unitard like Billy Blanks on Tae-Bo or yelling 'You can do it!' a la Tony Little. (That's right, Billy and Tony in the same sentence...gyms around the world just exploded.)
I can do it, but I'm not fanatical. There are plenty of mornings when the pillow wins against the gym. While I'm not over the top, I do take my exercise seriously, as you can tell by this picture I've included.
People do not believe this is a picture. I have new glasses now, but that's still me. Thus, most people do not realize how large I really am. More often when people see me, the tie I wear has a slimming affect. But I digress.
There's another form of exercise that is often hard to see and yet remains vitally important in my life. Here's how the Apostle Paul said it to Timothy;
Diligence speaks to being disciplined in your exercise. Progress tells me we're building muscles. Perseverance tells me that it's not always fun or enjoyable. When we exercise physically, I'm told that our muscles literally rip apart. When they heal, they become larger. Why shouldn't the same apply to us spiritually?
It's not like we don't have many areas to work on. I know I do. But if you need the list of where to start, Paul's list will work just fine; speech, life, love, faith and purity. Go ahead and get started on these daily exercises. They're good for you. And as Tony Little says, 'you can do it.'
I can do it, but I'm not fanatical. There are plenty of mornings when the pillow wins against the gym. While I'm not over the top, I do take my exercise seriously, as you can tell by this picture I've included.
People do not believe this is a picture. I have new glasses now, but that's still me. Thus, most people do not realize how large I really am. More often when people see me, the tie I wear has a slimming affect. But I digress.
There's another form of exercise that is often hard to see and yet remains vitally important in my life. Here's how the Apostle Paul said it to Timothy;
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:15-16
Diligence speaks to being disciplined in your exercise. Progress tells me we're building muscles. Perseverance tells me that it's not always fun or enjoyable. When we exercise physically, I'm told that our muscles literally rip apart. When they heal, they become larger. Why shouldn't the same apply to us spiritually?
It's not like we don't have many areas to work on. I know I do. But if you need the list of where to start, Paul's list will work just fine; speech, life, love, faith and purity. Go ahead and get started on these daily exercises. They're good for you. And as Tony Little says, 'you can do it.'
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