Week 11

1 Timothy 4:8
“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”

Before I came to have a relationship with the Lord, my eyes were fixed on my physical appearance. I ran 3+ miles every day and worked out just to look good. My pride began to increase dramatically, as I sought to be more fit than all my friends. From the world’s perspective, I had it all together. But from the inside, I was dying a slow and painful death. Working out and watching what you eat aren’t necessarily bad, but when it consumes your whole being it becomes a serious issue. I was reminded of 1 Samuel 16:7 where the Lord says to Samuel, “for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  I had to begin to ask the Lord to renew my mind, to take my focus off of physical disciplines and fix my heart on the disciplines of God. The Sefora that sits here is completely different than who she was 21 months ago prior to giving her heart to the Lord. Although I’ve become physically active during training, I’ve used this time to spend with the Lord and allow Him to create discipline within me. If what I do doesn’t draw me closer to God but instead causes me to care about the things that perish, I don’t want anything to do with them. I know that anything I do for the Lord has an eternal weight, but the things done on earth for my selfish gain will die as fast as I do.

Application: On my run tomorrow morning I will have a time to talk with Alexa about what our morning runs should look like and how we can prevent them from turning solely into an act of the flesh.








1 Corinthians 9:24-27
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”



Reading this passage, I’m reminded of my high school cross country and track days. When I first started running, I could merely do one mile at a turtle pace. Days, weeks, and months were sacrificed in order that I may be able to run the entire 3.1 miles nonstop or the 800 meters the fastest. The training included eating correctly, working out and running for hours on end, and practicing certain disciplines. I love that I was able to go through that season because it easily correlates with our walk with the Lord. This is a race and we must diligently train and discipline our bodies in order that we do not become disqualified. The hardest thing for me sometimes is waking up early to spend time with the Lord. However, I know that when I don’t spend time with the Lord I act like the person I was before knowing God. I would walk into work with an attitude and wouldn’t reflect the love of God to my coworkers. Once I realized this, I began to ask the Lord to help me build the discipline of waking up early to spend time with Him. I still struggle sometimes with this if ill be honest, but I know that I’m a lot better than what I used to be. If I’m not daily practicing the disciplines of prayer, reading the word, and worship, how am I going to become more like Christ and less like the world? I want to finish this race strong and receive the crown that the Lord has promised those who love Him.

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