The Disciple's Well Part 6

Jeremiah 2:13 (NCV)
13 “My people have done two evils: They have turned away from me, the spring of living water. And they have dug their own wells, which are broken wells that cannot hold water.
I have to choose which of the two wells I will drink from, and to keep focused on the living water I need to keep these five areas in balance:
Praying Well / Eating Well / Moving Well / Living Well / Resting Well
We are talking about praying well and living well on Sunday mornings, so in this Sunday evening series I am taking time to get into detail about the three physical areas of our lives that we need to get into balance.
3 John 1:2 (NIV)
2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
We have been spending time covering each area. Today, I am going to be speaking more about moving well.
Moving Well
A few things I have read about moving well I though you would enjoy.
Someone once said: “I don’t exercise at all. If God had wanted me to touch my toes He would have put them up higher on my body.”
Every time I get the urge to exercise, I lie down till the feeling passes.
This big boned guy, who is not very bright, goes to see his doctor because he is not feeling well. The doctor puts him on what he thinks will be an easy diet for the not so bright guy to follow. “I want you to eat regularly for two days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for two weeks. The next time I see you, you’ll have lost at least five pounds.” When the guy returns, he’s lost nearly 20 pounds. “Why, that’s amazing!” the doctor says. “Did you follow my instructions?” The guy nods. “I’ll tell you, though, I thought I was going to drop dead that third day.” “From hunger, you mean?” asked the doctor. “No, from skipping.”
I have been really struggling with my morning run over the last couple of weeks. I would describe it as trying to run in the mud. I have to talk myself into going for a run, and then the entire time I am running I am battling with all the reasons I should just stop. But, so far, I just keep pushing through. I am running a little slower, but I am running. While I was running a couple of days ago, in between the ongoing arguments of why I should just stop and walk or turn around and go home, I had some time to think about Hebrews 12:1:
Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
I am starting to think that these mud runs are something that God is using to teach me a little about perseverance. Running is something I have been really enjoying. Up until two weeks ago, I woke up looking forward to going running. I was in some sort of zone, I think. I was running increasingly faster miles. I had almost as much energy at the end of the run as I did when I started. Let’s go running? I’m in. All in. But now, for this season, for whatever reason, it’s different. I wake up and think, OK, I need to go running in a little while and I start thinking up excuses. I will go later. It is too hot. It is too humid. It might rain. I think my knee hurts. I am too busy. Then, I get dressed and go running.
Of course, I believe there would be grace not to go. But, I think the struggle is deeper. I am confident that if I just keep pressing in and pressing on, persevering, that I will have a breakthrough and will start enjoying the run again. I think this is what it looks like to run with perseverance. I think my life as a disciple is often like this. There are times and seasons when I look forward to all that my day as a disciple will bring. Problems and challenges are just something that I can be amazed at how God moves into and handles. There are other times and seasons when problems and challenges of the day seem completely overwhelming and everything feels like it is coming apart at the seams. What is different? Has to be me. God never changes. He is always faithful. Even when I am faithless. So, I choose today to run with perseverance. I look forward to the breakthrough.
In the process, I am going to try and keep my focus on Jesus, keep my eyes on the prize. I think that is what it really takes to persevere. Picking up where I left on in Hebrew 12 with verse 2:
Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Keeping my eyes on Jesus, reminds me of what it is all about.
1 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)
8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
Our goal in moving well is not about trying to look good so that people will notice and admire us.
The goal of moving well is to improve our physical health so that we have more energy to engage in the life that Jesus has called us to. A full and abundant, now and forever life with mission and purpose. When we have more energy, we are less likely to fall for the life stealing lies of I am too tired, or I don’t have time.
I hope by now that you are in the process of making some changes. I want to encourage you to persevere. Keep praying well, eating well, moving well, resting well, and living well, even when you don’t feel like it. If you mess up, remember His grace and mercy, get your eyes on the prize, and start again. Picking up once again where we left off in Hebrews 12:3:
Hebrews 12:3 (NIV)
3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Consider Jesus, and all that He has done for you, so that you don’t grow weary and lose heart. Don’t buy in to the life stealing lies of the enemy. There is something else in those Hebrews 12 verses that I wanted to talk about briefly as we close. It is the little phrase “for the joy set before Him”.
What was the joy set before Him? What motivated Jesus to endure the pain and shame of the cross? Was it sitting at the right hand of God? Was it being restored to glory? Since He already had those things before He became a human, it is probably not what motivated Him.
The reason that He came and lived among us, the reason that He went to the cross, His mission, was that He would end up with something more than He had when He came. And that something is you. You are the joy set before Him. Since He takes such great joy in you, you are to focus on and find life in Him. Focus on Jesus, don’t get distracted, and remember where the battle lies. That is where we will experience full and abundant, now and forever life in Him.