Life is hard...

I have to admit. It's been a rough week. It seems like everywhere I turn I am bombarded with messages and images that are begging me to satisfy my inner hunger through sex, pornography, or other pleasures. This isn't the first time I have encountered such attacks, but they seem rather pronounced and constant lately.

I was reading this morning in Job 28. Verse 28 says, "And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.'" As the temptations and lies have swirled around my life this past week I needed this reminder. Wisdom comes through fearing God and fleeing evil.

I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer. All my life I have been slow to learn the most important lessons of life. This lesson of fearing the Lord and fleeing evil is an especially hard one for me to follow on a consistent basis. I often do not fear the Lord. I often allow myself to hang around evil, sometimes because I am unaware of its presence, other times because I am simply too lazy to flee.

God wants me to live honestly, but He also wants me to become wise. Living wisely means I understand who I am in the presence of God - this produces joyful terror ("fear of the Lord"). To live wisely also requires that I recognize evil and flee from it - quickly! I pray that today I will take one small step closer to wisdom.

Learning through life...

jonathan

The chicken or the egg?

I've been thinking lately about the connection between the body and the mind. They really can't be separated. When I am tired my mind isn't sharp. When my mind is sharp I don't feel as tired. So, what controls the other? Is the mind in control or the body?

I've started exercising regularly again this week. It had been quite a while since I had picked up the weights and jump rope. Needless to say, my body is creaking. But my mind is thrilled at the change. I've noticed increased energy and sharpness in my thoughts. I find myself alert at the conclusion of each day rather than attempting to just hang on until bedtime.

In spite of my sore muscles I feel more prepared for battling sexual temptation. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not making some grand claim that exercise is "the answer" to my struggle with purity. But I believe I can make a case for the great benefit of engaging my body in the battle. After all, the Bible even tells us to "buffet our body" to make it obey us. Such discipline can only have positive effects in other aspects of our lives.

I'm also learning that the discipline of exercise operates under the same principles as that of purity - persistence, patience, and purpose. I have to press on when I don't feel like it, patiently wait for the desired results, and move forward with inspiration.

Well, it's off to the gym (translated - my garage). Hope you will see the difference in the days (ok, months) ahead.

Working mind and body,

jonathan