…Gain it all”

Words of wisdom and Truth courtesy of my workout shirt (from CTC).

My workout today was Turbofire:45… 45 minutes of kickboxing/dancing cardio.
It took me over an hour. 😬 I had to stop and rest every 10-15 minutes because I haven’t challenged myself like that in a LONG time. I remember thinking, “I am ALREADY sore from the workout I haven’t finished yet.” 😂

But I did it! I finished it! And it felt really good to accomplish something hard. (Celebrating small victories here!🎉)

Side note: if you’re new to exercise, or just getting back in the groove, it is OK to take breaks. Don’t quit, but give yourself time to recover so you can finish strong. 💪🏼💪🏾

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Now, time for deeper thoughts: “die to self, gain it all.” At a glance one might think spending an hour to exercise is selfish or vain, but exercise doesn’t have to be that way.  Exercise creates an opportunity to grow discipline and self-control which can benefit me in many other areas of my life.

Honestly, my “self” today would have been happy eating more cookies and relaxing watching movies. (Which is what I HAVE BEEN doing too much of for too long.) And I very well may spend more time today with family eating and watching movies, but taking the time to exercise hard helped me crush a little bit of the lazy “want to” creeping up in me

Dying to self is a daily battle, and it starts on the inside. That doesn’t mean I neglect myself, but rather I put to death the “want tos” that hinder my relationship with Christ. Those things may look differently for me than they do for you; maybe they’re the same. God knows.  And each time I put my wants with no greater purpose, first, I pull a little farther away from who He wants me to be.

Exercise helps me be a good steward of the vessel God has blessed me with, scars and all. It helps me teach my girls that they CAN do hard things!  They can conquer what they put their little minds to with the right amount of discipline. And the discipline that grows in me through exercise helps me push past the “I don’t want tos” in my Spiritual walk because I’ve practiced it in my physical walk.

Sometimes it’s ugly and imperfect (death is rarely–if ever–beautiful), but the reward, the GAIN, will be well worth it.

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
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Romans 6!

and many more. 🙂