Why you need a punch in the face

...but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:27

I casually looked up the word discipline in the above verse. I was rocked by what I read. We so easily use the words discipline and disciple but I'm not sure we are ready for what Paul is talking about here. Another version uses the word buffet.

Here is the definition: This verb means to strike on the face with resultant disfigurement; to beat black and blue. It's a boxing metaphor.

Paul is using strong words because he knows disqualification is possible. He knows that a body and soul needs serious treatment if they are going to line up with God's ways.

But it's not just the physical body that needs a punch but something far deeper.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:16

Are we serious about what it takes to escape the damage and corruption of the world? What we see, what our body wants, how we think more of ourselves than we should; these things can push out God.

How about this: You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin. Hebrews 12:4

Jesus sweat blood in the garden as he struggled with the battle that was ahead. What kind of fight do we put up when tempted? Do we give a punch to the face or wimp out and surrender?

So why do this? Is it because we are on a glum journey to holiness? No, it's because there is a joy and peace we can experience when we are making progress in our walk with God. The hard work has a reward that far surpasses the struggle to attain it.

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Hebrews 12:11

Our struggle is not new: And Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Luke 22:46

Don't let the things of the world lull you to sleep. Wake up, pray, and when necessary, punch yourself in the face - your eternity depends on it.

Philip

Impulse

Who are we really?

So here is the story: A friend who was a recovery room nurse says that many times people say strange things when they are waking up from surgery. She kept it confidential but said that one time someone from her church, who she was caring for, said something very inappropriate. She felt strange around him after that.

How about when someone has had too much to drink? There are endless stories about things people have said or done that will haunt them for a long time.

Have you ever had an impulse to do something or say something but you held back? Or probably more often, in the passion of the moment, something was said or done that you regret.

So who is the real person? Is it the bad impulse inside or the person that we want to be and are trying to be?

It’s true that many of the outward things we do show what’s in our heart but what about when we truly want to be different from what we were or are?

There may be a person who wants to follow Jesus but battles homosexual desire. We tell them to fight it. We encourage them to not give into the impulse.

If a married person has feelings for someone other than their spouse we rightly tell them to resist and to get away from the temptation.

I think of myself and the lust I have for food; every single day I fight the impulse to eat whatever I want whenever I want. It’s right for me to fight. Or am I just a big phony and defined by what I want to do? I was thinking yesterday that it has been over two years since I have had a Big Mac. I remember how I loved Big Mac Monday when they were two for $2.00. I would stop on the way home and devour two between breaths. It was a snack and then I would go home and eat dinner.

Who am I really? Am I defined by the impulse inside or the person that I want to be and have fought to be for two years?

Back to the recovery room story: because the person said something inappropriate does that show they are a bad person? What about the drunk?

Could it be that these things show that we all have darkness inside? There is the desire to gossip or lust. Pride swells up. We covet what we don’t have. We want to eat too much. We want to be liked too much. We are lazy. We want to lie. We sow discord. We want adultery or fornication.

So we fight the impulse. If we are in the recovery room we hope that people will understand that maybe that is not the real us. If we have a problem when we drink then maybe we should cut back or abstain. I have to be careful what magazines and cookbooks I look at.

Addicts have an acronym that helps prevent relapse. It’s called HALT - Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. These things make us vulnerable.

Another of my problems is my mouth; my tongue gets me into a lot of trouble. Many times as evening rolls on I find myself getting angry and I want to say something that I know I will regret. It’s usually time to go to bed. Many of the worst conflicts my wife and I have had have been when I should have already been asleep. That doesn’t excuse me; I was the one who said the bad things but maybe if I had been in a better place I would have held back or used better words. I really do want better things to come out of my mouth. Or should I feel like an imposter and fraud?

When I understand the Gospel I realize that I will never be perfect. I will never be the vine. As a branch I will always need to be connected to Jesus. The Holy Spirit living through me will make me different but I will always be marred by sin and darkness. There will always be bad trying to get out. I will always have to fight impulses. I will need to try to control my environment so that I can practice self-control.

I will continue to have bad stories to tell and confess. I am a fallen human in the process of redemption.

Hi, my name is Philip.

Fear

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?
Psalms 27:1

Fear can paralyze us. Sometimes that is good when the danger is real. Fear is bad when coupled with imagination; the small and unlikely becomes large and looming.

I was thinking about the theater shooting on Friday and how a sense of fear and terror of so many what-ifs will become the reality for many.

Should we ban guns or have everyone carry them? Do we need security at movie theaters now? Have all large gatherings of people become a source of anxiety?

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?
Psalms 56:3-4

A great confidence Christians can have is knowing that God is bigger and greater than anyone or anything that can touch our lives. We do live in a fallen and broken world so we can be sure that plenty of sorrow will touch our lives. We will not be completely free of the junk of the world but we can know that it can only touch us if God allows it. We don't have to live in fear.

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28

Our focus needs to be on God and being sure that our lives are lived according to his commands. In doing that we will have peace that passes all understanding and bad fear will not rule our lives.

Live with joy,

Philip

My Weight Loss Journey - 70 Pounds Gone

I have reached a milestone. It has now been over a year since I lost 70 pounds and have maintained that loss.

I guess that is a big thing. Many people who lose a lot of weight end up gaining it back. That is especially true of fad diets or diets that don't come with lifestyle change.

The posts following these comments are my story. They give a glimpse into my life during the time I was losing weight and some of the things I learned. No fad diets, no 30 pounds in 30 days, and nothing for sale. It is something anyone could do.

In the past year I have continued to track what I eat. While I was losing weight I was very strict in my tracking. Everything I ate was written down. That helped in many ways. I learned a lot about different foods and it also helped me resist the temptation to eat whatever is nearby. I am more liberal now. I have a limit of calories I eat and track each day and there is some room for snacks that I don't write down.

"Counting calories" carries a lot of baggage for some people. They want to lose weight but don't want to do something that sounds oppressive. Many weight loss programs boast that you don't have to count calories. The thing is, it's really basic math. If you take in fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. The opposite is also true. By tracking what you eat, you can see what direction you are going to go. You can't wish away calories. Studies show that without tracking, people highly underestimate the amount of calories they are consuming.

While I was losing weight I would weigh myself each week on the same day and at the same time. Every week I lost between 1 to 2 pounds. I knew it was going to happen because my food tracking predicted it. I now weigh myself every day and use an app that shows the trend of my weight; if I am staying the same or going up or down. The trend is what really helps. Because of different factors I may show a weight fluctuation of several pounds from day to day. The average shows where I am really at.

As far as exercise goes, I love to ride my bike and go on walks. The calories I burn are also tracked and balance out what I eat. If I burn a lot through exercise then I know I need to add more healthy fuel to my body. I also do regular strength training with a set of resistance bands. They cost less than $20 and there are many exercises that can be done with them.

My life has drastically improved since I lost weight. I feel so much better, have more energy and feel better about myself, at least the outside part. I never want to go back to where I was so I am willing to maintain habits that will keep me where I need to be.

The battle is not over. I cheerfully admit that I have a problem with food. For me it is probably an addiction. Unless God frees me from that I will always have to battle food lust and bad eating. For better health I will gladly do that.

The last thing I want to say is that if you want to lose weight you need to do it for you and for the right reason. I was challenged with that at the beginning of my journey. First of all I wanted to please God and second I wanted to live a healthy lifestyle. I also knew that it was going to take supernatural help from God. With those motivations I knew I could expect success. My journey wasn't tied into what other people felt about me and whether or not they supported what I was doing. I wanted to be a better person for me and for God.

I hope my story helps you. Here is the path I traveled. If your browser supports it, each post will open a new tab or window.

Here is my story from beginning to end:

I lost the sack of cement

How’s That Working For Ya?

Lose It for Life

Food Journal – Do I have to do this?

Breakfast, Sleep and Weight Loss

Predictable Weight Loss

My small God

Losing Weight - The good and bad

Obsession

Appearances

Ultimate (bad) Breakfast Platter

Thanks for reading.

Philip

You Can't Outrun Your Mouth