She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms.
—Proverbs 31:17 NKJV
As a Christian, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and you need to keep it in good condition so God can work through you the way He desires to. Being excessively tired can adversely affect us and our spiritual life. We don’t have the desire or stamina to pray as we normally would. We don’t present the best witness to others. It is even easier to be grouchy and unable to walk in the fruit of the Spirit when we feel tired most of the time.
I encourage you to make room in your life for exercise. In my own life, I am not where I need to be yet but I am making progress. I have finally decided that, to do what I can do is better than doing nothing at all. Find something you can enjoy and still get exercise. Try walking or playing a sport to get the exercise you need. Exercising with other people might work for you.
People who exercise regularly do tend to be more confident. For one thing, they feel better and more energetic, so they accomplish more and enjoy what they do. They usually look better, and that increases confidence. Exercise also relieves tension and stress, which will help anyone’s confidence. Don’t think about exercising anymore—just do it!
Lord, I acknowledge that my body is Your temple, and I want it to rightly reflect You. Help me to discipline myself and give my body the exercise it needs. Amen.
Focus on Jesus
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.”
Luke 6:34–36
For several years leading up to Roger Bannister’s historic run in May of 1954 to complete a mile in under four minutes, many athletes had tried and failed to break that barrier. Yet after Bannister proved it could be done, several others succeeded. One of them was a runner named John Landry. He broke Bannister’s record by more than a second. Track officials quickly put together a race between the top two milers in the world. As they reached the last lap, Landry was leading, but he was worried about how close Bannister was. When he looked back over his shoulder to check on his competitor, Bannister passed him and won the race. A distraught Landry told a reporter from Time magazine, “If I hadn’t looked back, I would have won!”
One of the great temptations we face in our Christian life is to worry about what other people are doing instead of keeping our focus on doing our best for God. When Jesus met Peter after the resurrection and told him about His plan for the rest of Peter’s life, Peter immediately turned his attention to John. “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?” (John 21:20–21). God is well able to take care of everyone else without any help from us. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus.
Luke 6:34–36
For several years leading up to Roger Bannister’s historic run in May of 1954 to complete a mile in under four minutes, many athletes had tried and failed to break that barrier. Yet after Bannister proved it could be done, several others succeeded. One of them was a runner named John Landry. He broke Bannister’s record by more than a second. Track officials quickly put together a race between the top two milers in the world. As they reached the last lap, Landry was leading, but he was worried about how close Bannister was. When he looked back over his shoulder to check on his competitor, Bannister passed him and won the race. A distraught Landry told a reporter from Time magazine, “If I hadn’t looked back, I would have won!”
One of the great temptations we face in our Christian life is to worry about what other people are doing instead of keeping our focus on doing our best for God. When Jesus met Peter after the resurrection and told him about His plan for the rest of Peter’s life, Peter immediately turned his attention to John. “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?” (John 21:20–21). God is well able to take care of everyone else without any help from us. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus.
Today’s Growth Principle:
If our focus is fixed on Jesus, then we will not be drawn off course easily.
Just Do It!
by Joyce Meyer - posted April 05, 2016She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms.
—Proverbs 31:17 NKJV
As a Christian, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and you need to keep it in good condition so God can work through you the way He desires to. Being excessively tired can adversely affect us and our spiritual life. We don’t have the desire or stamina to pray as we normally would. We don’t present the best witness to others. It is even easier to be grouchy and unable to walk in the fruit of the Spirit when we feel tired most of the time.
I encourage you to make room in your life for exercise. In my own life, I am not where I need to be yet but I am making progress. I have finally decided that, to do what I can do is better than doing nothing at all. Find something you can enjoy and still get exercise. Try walking or playing a sport to get the exercise you need. Exercising with other people might work for you.
People who exercise regularly do tend to be more confident. For one thing, they feel better and more energetic, so they accomplish more and enjoy what they do. They usually look better, and that increases confidence. Exercise also relieves tension and stress, which will help anyone’s confidence. Don’t think about exercising anymore—just do it!
Lord, I acknowledge that my body is Your temple, and I want it to rightly reflect You. Help me to discipline myself and give my body the exercise it needs. Amen.
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