Exercise: Here We Go Again

Gò0dNews for Everyone

Exercise: Here We Go Again!

by Karla Smedley

Well, it is January. A time for new declarations and new promises. Time to clean up our act. Eat less, exercise more. Perhaps, even a new gym membership. I have vowed to jump on the exercise bandwagon so many times over the few years. However, often as the days press on, that same wagon’s wooden wheels run over me as it rolls out of town.

The Flesh

My flesh is strong, and frankly, larger than I desire. Oh, the excuses! I can eat this one more cookie. I am a little too tired to exercise today. I’ll start eating better or exercising next week. The temptations are great while my willpower is weak.

The Battle for Staying Healthy

I know what to do. I have read the latest tricks and enduring tips to help myself. But I get weak. The fight to shed a few pounds, keep a healthy heart, and lower my cholesterol require exercise, not only physically, but mentally as well. Whether it takes 30 days to create a new habit (or as newer research suggests up to 200 days for some people), it’s a mindset of perseverance that I need.

The More Important Exercise

The truth is physical needs are not the only area in which my flesh wins out. My actions are way too fleshly. I find myself joining in with our wicked world more often than setting myself apart for God. In 1 John 2:15, the Bible says, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.” God calls us to be the light of the world. As you well know, this is a very dark world we are living in. To shine for Jesus, I must love Him more than I love the things of this world.

The Battle to Be the Light

Again, I know what to do, but I get weak. I begin exercising the mindset that I can do this, live a Godly life. But then I fail. I backslide. I begin to fall out of fellowship with Jesus. I get overwhelmed. It is then when I realize I am trying on my own to be like Jesus, amid our sinful world. My actions cannot simply rest in the thought that I need to be stronger. I forget too often that I am not asked to live like Jesus without guidance. Staying connected with God and yielding to the Holy Spirit, that’s the answer! “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2, NASB).

The Battle for God in our Daily Lives

Staying connected to God is not a bandwagon to jump on. He is always there and desires us to lean into Him. If we desire to love Him more than the things of this world, we must yield to the Holy Spirit, not our fleshly desires. We will not find the Holy Spirit in the world, rather we will find the Holy

Spirit when we fellowship with God: worship in a church that encourages discipleship, ask God for a thirst of His

Word and meditate on it daily, surround ourselves with other Christians who inspire our growth in the Lord and our choices that honor God. Make a resolution this year to live less for the world and more for God by following the words in Galatians 5:16, “Walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.”

About The Author

Karla Smedley has taught 5th through 8th grade for the past twenty-four years. She is a member of Emmaus Baptist Church and has two grown children. She enjoys singing with the praise team at church, and she writes a Christian blog, Smorgasbord of Sisterhood, with her cousin Donna.

Christian Magazine

Mission Statement: Writer Guidelines:

We believe when people are equipped, motivated, and passionately engaged in living out their faith in Jesus Christ they have the potential to be world changers.

Our mission is to bring people into a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ—a relationship that empowers them to see how God can work through individual personalities, situations, and talents. Christ was an activist, he did not neglect the needs of the people as He brought His message. We strive to encourage everyone to look more like Christ by reaching outside of themselves to serve the needs of others—at home, at school, in communities, and across the world.

goodnewscm.com Phone: 423.478.6484

Who: Our writers range from pastors, professors, and professional writers to stay at home moms and dads, business professionals, and others who have a desire to reach out to people through words of encouragement.

What: We believe that it is important to laugh together, praise each other, encourage one another, and to offer biblical advice. Articles can be directed toward everyone, or from woman to woman, or man to man. We love to share recipes and family traditions as well. We ask that articles be kept to a 500 word maximum. We’d love to hear from you!

Where: Please send submissions to

articles.goodnews@gmail.com

Why: Because God has not intended for us to just survive. We believe that we are intended to reach out to love and encourage each other. God has brought each of us through tough times, blessed us, and made the “impossible” possible. Let’s, together, share the love of Jesus Christ.