STAY QUALIFIED

Another devotional from Youversion:

"I’ve made up my mind that I want to be a super-fit 50 year-old. Okay, so I have a few years before I reach that age (God willing), but there is no time like the present to get started. 

To go to the next level in my fitness, I joined a 2-week intensive exercise program at one of our local gyms. Running, sprints, squats, box jumps, push-ups, pull-ups…military-type exercises. 

It was very hard. 

But I did it because being fit and healthy is important to me. I want a disciplined body because I want to stay qualified for my life’s purpose. 

In today’s scripture, Paul talks about disciplining his body and bringing it under subjection. When something is under subjection, that means that something else controls it. 

In the case of your body, your mind is supposed to control what it does. But too often, we fail to exercise that authority! 

A vivid example of that was played out in the media not too long ago. 

A well-known athlete cheated on his wife with multiple women. Even though he disciplined his mind to excel in his sport, he failed to discipline his mind to resist temptation. 

And because of this, his body led him into a situation that hurt his wife, damaged his family, and caused him to lose respect from those who admired him. 

When it comes to your weight loss goals, you too must be careful to be a person of integrity, which means wholeness. You keep your word to yourself and others. And your actions match your words. 

I’ve seen many examples of people who say that being healthy and getting fit is important to them, yet they act in ways that will bring them the exact opposite result. It seriously damages your confidence and esteem when you say one thing and do another. 

So today, resolve to go to the other side of hard by disciplining your body. It starts with disciplining your mind. You can control your thinking and direct your thoughts where you want your body to go. 

If you keep your eyes on the prize, you will win and stay qualified for the purpose to which God has called you! "

No, I strike a blow to 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 NIV)