A Look Back on My One-Word Goal

Self- control: Trading the tiramisu for Paleo brownies. ;)

As you may recall this past year I decided to forgo the traditional New Year's Resolutions and opted for a one-word goal instead. My word was none other than self-control.

As I have learned these past five months self-control has many aspects and it is more than simply managing our outward attitudes or those potential outbursts of anger. Self-control encompasses a broader spectrum of ideas than we usually consider. It refers to how one handles any range of emotions from the inside be it our response to threat, disciplining our minds and bodies and so forth.

Here's how I've been fairing so far:

Self-control in relationships. By nature I have always despised injustices. I go out of my way to make sure that life is fair when I have the power and control to do so. However, I have realized that God does not ask me to defend myself, he simply asks that I trust Him to do so. God is my defender and as such He has instilled a desire in me not to seek to amend wrongs done to me but rather turn to Him and allow him to amend it in His time. With him on my side, it's easy to trust that vengeance is the Lord's. I have also been able to forgive wrongs immediately rather than linger with an unforgiving heart allowing them to take up roots of bitterness. Although I don't always feel like forgiving, I do it out of obedience. It is like love. We may not always feel like we love someone but we make the choice every day to act on our commitment and not on our emotions.

The following verses have been encouraging me greatly:

Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's.

-2 Chronicles 20:15 b

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.

-Romans 12:19

Self-control with my words. Ever since I can remember I have had this "need" to vent with others. The problem with this even though my intentions are not inherently wicked or evil is that when I have a conflict with Person A and I share with Persons B, C, and D how I was wronged I am guilty of gossiping and slandering that person with my words. My role as a woman of God is to speak directly to the person (if and when necessary) or just hand it over to the Lord in prayer and forget about it. I don't need to go on "venting" until I feel better about myself. I can't expect others to play my psychologist; I must trust in my divine healer and counselor. My conviction has been so strong as of lately that my prayer has been to the Lord like the one found in Psalm 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth, o LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips."

Self-control with my time. The secret to having enough time to do that which we deem important is to spend time with the creator of Heaven and Earth. If I may quote Dr. Charles Stanley, he states simply, "Prayer is life's greatest timesaver." In order to have enough time to do what God requests of us, our priorities must be aligned. When we seek God, he reveals his will to us and molds us to desire that which is pleasing to Him.

In my own life, I have been having a consistent time with the Lord. When I first began working-out at 6:30 am before work, I confess that my time with the Lord was one of the first things to go. After working out and feeling the massive amounts of endorphins giving me that loving feeling, there was little need to seek God. Rather than seek Him on a daily basis, I resorted to dedicating one entire morning before work to Him. On the days that I WODDED (perform the Work Out of the Day), it would suffice to say a quick prayer and do a speedy devotional whenever I could squeeze it in during the day. The problem with that was that I didn't have on my spiritual armor in the morning. I wasn't properly equipped to face the demands of the day. After much prayer, I have seen how the Lord has worked in my life. He has been waking me up in the wee hours to seek His face bright and early. He has also given me a thirst for His word. I spend more time in His word than I ever have. I recognize that without his instructions, I am lost.

Self-control in fitness and health. Back in December of 2010, three co-workers and myself embarked on a new journey to physical fitness. Today it is known as CrossFit. It is the "box" I go to four - five times a week to complete grueling work-outs that push my body to the limit. I hope you will understand when I say that "CrossFit has changed my life." I recognize that God created it for my pleasure and enjoyment. Rather than worshiping that which he created, I worship Him for giving me this opportunity to find something I absolutely love to do which yields countless benefits. As if that weren't good enough, I get to share this hobby with my hubby. He has recently joined in on all the fun and has become a CrossFitter.

In addition to CrossFitting, I have started the Paleo lifestyle. From February to March I was going strong and noticed some positive changes in the way I felt. The story now is a bit different. I've somehow relapsed and resorted to increasing my sugar intake once again, eating the occasional slice of bread and consuming dairy products more avidly (especially cheese). However, a look on my eating habits back in January of this year will prove that I was on a downhill slope to developing diabetes and other chronic illnesses. I was ignorant about dieting and how essential it was for my well-being. After all, isn't my body the temple of God. I want to be as effective for Him while on this Earth then I must be diligent and care for it.

If I could sum it all up with one verse, I would choose 1 Timothy 3:11, "In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do."

Lord, I thank you for these past five months. I thank you for the way in which you have been molding me, for the power that I have found in your word. Thank you for being so patient, loving and kind with me. You reveal to me that which is not constructive and give me the option to change. You don't force me to do anything. As my loving Father, I am confident that you have the best for me and I choose to obey. I desire to be the woman that you have purposed for me since the very beginning. A woman that exercises self-control in all she does. Many times I have failed. A few times I have succeeded. Despite it all, I am grateful that you have not left me to do this on my own. Thank you for your hand that picks mine up and guides me gently along the best way I should go. May we never cease to do this together. For Your honor and glory.

In Jesus' Name,

AMEN

Discipline = Giving Up the Good and Better for the Best

As I was looking through my prayer journal, I came across this entry:

February 21, 2011

I want to be a woman after your own heart and you know my struggles. My struggle to fit in, to feel accepted and loved. You know the war I wager day after day to remain steadfast in you. Many days I fail terribly, others I feel invincible. All I ask is for consistence. I want to consistently grow in my desire to know and serve you.

This is where I am at this point in my life; desiring to be more consistent in all areas of my life. In my walk with Christ, as a wife, as a leader in our church and so forth. Yet I have found that my number one enemy begins with the letter d and it is called distractions. I am distracted by social media, namely Facebook, in which the minutes quickly turn to hours and are forever lost in cyber world yielding no significant value. Then there is my all time favorite: CrossFit. Unlike Facebook there is much value in seeking to live a healthier life and stay physically fit. However discipline is not about pursuing that which is good. Discipline is about giving up the good and the better for the best. And what is the best from God's perspective? Only that which we will be able to take with us to eternity.

Read what Paul says about it in 1 Corinthians 9:25-27, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Paul encourages us "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Both of these passages exhort me to fix my gaze on Jesus and the things of eternal value, forsaking all others. I am to relentlessly pursue my Maker and His kingdom while counting everything else as secondary. In the words of the wise King Solomon, "everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."

So how can one leave that which is good and better for the best? Discipline is something that will be awarded and consequently holds much value before God. Yet we must be willing to pay the prize to achieve it. Like any athlete who competes and goes into strict training we must be willing to train ourselves and submit to God's will for our life whether it feels good or not. It is not something that happens overnight, just as an Olympic athlete will never win a gold medal without training hard and working diligently for it. Likewise following Christ requires much work on our behalf. We are to identify and remove all distractions so that we can better focus on our goal. It is only after one submits to Christ and finds joy in Him alone that Christ will grant us our heart's desires. He will be able to do so because our desires will be aligned with His will. Then and only then will Psalm 37:4 hold true: "Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart."

Coming Soon: Facebook Fast

They say it takes about 30 days to make a habit and with a new year before us what a great way to begin incorporating some positive, healthy changes. Since my 2011 word of the year is self-control I couldn't think of a better time to take advantage of a 30 Day Facebook Fast than now. Why you may ask? Well, simply put I feel like I am being robbed of one of the most precious commodities God has given me, time. I am certainly not investing it as wisely as I could be when I spend excessive amounts of time socializing in Cyber World.

So in less than 48 hours I will embark on the journey of what I like to call Social Media Deprivation along with 11 other Facebook friends. Many of which have innocently accepted a challenge that will inevitably be life changing. Solo deo gloria. To Him be the glory.

Lord, I pray for all of those friends that have publicly accepted this 30 Day Facebook Fast challenge. I am sure that not all of them signed up with the same intentions but I pray that in the midst of this you would make yourself known to each and every one of them in a tangible way. I pray that they would be able to find you with their whole heart. Lord, use this time to draw us to you and you alone. Bring us back to our first love.

In Jesus' Name,

AMEN

1 Corinthians 9:27

"No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."