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Blood.
Sweat.
Tears.
I really wish I could say it would be easier, but losing weight, deepening my spiritual walk and improving my relationships are all going to require some sacrifice.
And as my doctor said during my “procedure,” — “You might feel a little pressure.”
That’s the nature of discipline. It hurts for a while, but the long-term benefits outweigh the temporal discomfort. (Still I ask, “Can’t I just buy an app for this stuff?”)
Larry Hehn’s delightful blog, Christians in the Rough, is a continuous dose of good medicine, but it doesn’t always go down easily. In a recent post, Larry acknowledges the struggle to live a better, more disciplined life by comparing it to a certain brand of effective, but wretched-tasting brand of cough medicine, Buckley’s Mixture.
The company was honest in the advertising. “It tastes awful. And it’s worth it.”
“We’ve all made some worthy resolutions over the years,” Hehn said in his post. “But how often have we backed away from reaching them once we get a taste of the discipline it takes to get there?”
Three years ago I worked hard to turn my life around physically, spiritually and in my relationships. I lost 30 pounds of fat and gained 20 pounds of muscle. But over the last few months that physique has … slipped. It wasn’t long ago that I studied and taught with fiery passion. Today, I just barely limp by in my faith. I used to be surrounded by friends who would encourage me and I could learn from. But by my brokenness, I lost my way.
Do I want change? You bet. But the reality is that none of this is going to be easy.
How about you? What’s the toughest thing you are planning on doing this year? Comment here.
Please, share with a friend if you feel moved.
Read all past issues at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davidrupert
Read all past issues at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davidrupert
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