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Discipline -
A
Love/Hate Relationship!
By Diana Patton, FITatudes
Guest Column
I guess you could say I’ve developed a love/hate
relationship with my P90X work-out videos. I’ve had this
12-video packet for about three years now and the 12th
video, the “Ab Ripper X” video, is by far the most used
(perhaps because it’s only 16 minutes compared to the other
55-minute versions). And the part that gets me every time is
where the instructor says in his somewhat sinister voice “Ab
Ripper X – I hate it … but I love it”
For whatever reason, that just gets me digging my heels in
even more to blast through that workout and I’ve seen
tremendous results!
What’s up with that? Well, in a nutshell – discipline can be
grueling but, man, does it reap some huge results!
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We know that is true at FITatudes! We designed our nine
FITatudes with discipline being the very last FITatude; it
says:
“Happy are the faithful and diligent … for they shall see
results.”
It’s funny because the P90X instructor really makes a
profound yet relatable biblical point with his “hate it love
it” statement. You see, God recognizes that we humans will
most likely dread discipline and find it overbearing – but
God wants us to accept discipline as a key aspect of our
lives in order to live life to the full – for sustainable
health and vitality. God is clear in Hebrews 12:10-11
“God disciplines us for our good that we may share in his
holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but
painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of
righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by
it.”
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Yes, it’s painful when I go through those 16 minutes of
Ab Ripper X
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Yes, it’s painful to get on the dreadmill (i.e., the
treadmill) and run 30-45 minutes or sometimes an hour as
I prepare for a ½ marathon this spring (did I just say
marathon)
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Yes, it’s sometimes painful to take the time to shop,
prepare, and cook healthy food for my family and
encourage them to sit down at the dinner table
together!
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Yes, it was painful when I left my cushy corporate
salary to set out to do what God called me to do
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Yes, it was painful to flunk the bar exam the first time
and refocus myself to study for and pass the bar exam
the second time
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Yes, it was painful to lose those 30 pounds
post-pregnancy and to work everyday to maintain a
healthy weight (especially when it’s cold outside)
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Yes, it was painful for Tonja and I to wake-up every day
and focus on writing our books and curriculums that is
now the foundation of FITatudes
My most recent painful moment was being asked this past
Thursday to resign from a part-time position with a
reputable company here in Toledo … even though I asked God
to close the door if the door should be closed. Ouch, talk
about painful!
But honestly with all of painful experiences, I know I will
produce a harvest of righteousness and peace. The benefit
comes from the training. But, we have to be willing to be
trained.
You can’t expect results when you just buy a treadmill, have
a workout video in your home, sign-up to receive personal
training, buy healthy food or purchase the latest workout
gear without doing something with those items. We
have to do act, do and be disciplined to see results.
Proverbs 12:1 says whoever loves discipline loves
knowledge. Learning and insight comes from discipline.
If you are anything like Tonja and me, you’ve walked away
from experiences where you’ve had to be focused, disciplined
or tested and you’ve felt renewed, wiser and stronger. In
fact, James 1:2, 3 says consider it pure joy, my
brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because
you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance.
I encourage you today to adopt a disciplined lifestyle!
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I just want those hard,
disciplined times to go away. Even Christ wanted the
discipline to go away as noted in Matthew 26:39, but not
according to his will but according to God’s will!
That’s what we have to do – ask God for his will to
be done in our lives because our own simple will power can’t
sustain the discipline that we need to Live Life to the
Full! We can guarantee your lifestyle will be filled with
endless possibilities!
To Live Life to the Full, go to
www.FITatudes.com and grab your free eBook.
Diana (Toledo, Ohio) and Tonja Ward (Houston, Texas) co-own
and operate a company called FITatudes, a Christian based
wellness organization that enhances and empowers women with
the biblically based FITatudes concept.
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