A Worthy Battle
Theme of the week: God Cares about Your Body
Friday, March 8, 2013
 1 of 1
Key Bible Verse: So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. (1 Peter 5:6) Dig Deeper: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
This struggle [against habitual sin] may humiliate us, but let's be honest: Couldn't most of us use a good dose of humiliation now and then? Defeat can make us rely more on God. The imperfect nature of our struggle will at times discourage us, but discouragement can point us toward hope in Christ. It will chasten us, but chastening can make us gentler toward those who sin against us. When we're actively fighting our own sin, we will have more patience, understanding, and mercy toward others who struggle with sin. Fighting excess and laziness hasn't led me to legalism; it has led me to deeper empathy.
This increased sensitivity, sense of humiliation, and dependence on the grace of God (for we have no other hope) can make us more "holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work" (2 Tim. 2:21, NIV).
In the end, I found that physical fitness offered to God, surrendered to God, pursued in cooperation with God has enormous spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits. It is not an easy battle, but I have found it to be one well worth fighting—even though I know it is a battle I will fight, with varying degrees of success, for the rest of my life.
—Gary Thomas in Every Body Matters
My Response: What battle is God calling me to fight in light of this week's readings?
Thought to Apply: The focus of health in the soul is humility, while the root of inward corruption is pride.—J. I. Packer (British theologian, author)
Adapted from Every Body Matters (Zondervan, 2011) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.
Copyright © 2013 by Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
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Creator, help me to honor you in the way I take care of my body as an act of worship to you.
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