This morning, I almost didn’t do what I needed to do.
Almost.
But I didn’t. Instead, I did what I needed to do and in doing so, I got a taste of some morning glory!
I ran, and I am the better because of it.
I made the choice to partake in a discipline that’s been following me for over twenty years. Most days, I hate the doing. It is a dread that wears hard and heavy on my will. Discipline is like that. It rarely feels good at the time, but in the end, it usually works toward my good. And while my outward doesn’t necessarily mirror the fruits of my hard laboring, my inward boasts the beauty of my commitment.
Heart health.
As it is with the temporal, so it is with my eternal.
I’ve got a heart that needs strengthening and a faith that needs walking. It’s what I need to do, and on most days, it’s what I want to do. But there are those occasions when my faith walk seems better left untouched. Unchallenged and untamed by life’s daily because, quite frankly, life’s daily wears hard and heavy upon my stubborn will.
No matter. Long ago, I made the decision to reposition my will behind God’s. In doing so, I signed up for a life that chooses best interest over preferred interest. And as much as I am prone to the latter, it is the former that keeps me on the road toward heart health.
When the health of the heart takes precedence over the emotions of the heart, God is faithful to honor such obedience with a measure of maturing that cannot be attained otherwise. We may not see it, feel it, touch it or taste it in the immediate, but down the road, it will be our strengthened portion when we most need the power of its witness.
A walking faith is a difficult faith. It means that we surrender how we think it ought to breathe and, instead, receive the deep breath of the Holy Spirit who abides our steps, no matter how sharp and hard the path. It means drinking Him in, even when our preference leads our lust toward the ladle of another well. It means keeping to the Word and believing in its effectual and accomplishing power even when the script reads as seemingly void of purpose.
It means getting up, day in and evening out, and living the truth of who we are as children of the Most High God, even when our preferred inclination leans toward the snooze button.
Fully living our sacred adoption is our good and gracious requirement if we are ever to share in his holiness and to reach our perfected end. This is the overriding truth that keeps me on the path, friends. Not my emotions or my feelings. They’ve run the show for most of my life and almost always run counterproductive within God’s agenda for me.
Thus, I am learning to deny them their unhealthy portion of influence. Instead, I am filling my life with the discipline of Jesus. Yes, that’s what I wrote. Discipline. As Eugene Peterson would say, “a long obedience in the same direction.” It doesn’t sound too exciting, does it? In fact, to most it sounds rather boring and walks even more laborious. But there again, it matters not how it sounds or feels. What matters is the choice to embrace the journey.
I am finding that with such a decision comes some of the most fantastic growth I have ever known as a Christian. Why?
Because choices that seed on behalf of the heart always yield long term benefits—a lasting harvest of peace and righteousness that will carry this soul to its perfected end.
This is what I’m after. This is why I will keep to the road…to the run, even when my preference leans toward the snooze. Jesus Christ is the great finisher and completer of my faith journey; thus, I will keep repositioning my will behind his until he brings me home to my forever.
I don’t know how this strikes you today. Many of you are weary. Many of you are in the middle of making some hard decisions, perhaps even living the effects of some bad ones. Some of you stand at the edge of a road, wondering if the walk ahead is worth the process. Some of you stand at the end of a road, looking back with regrets and wishing the opportunity for a do-over. A blessed few are skipping along with the pure contentment of trusting in Jesus for the unseen. A gracious many, unfortunately, are hitting the snooze button one more time in hopes of waking up to a better day.
No matter. What does matter, however, is what we choose to do with our now. What will be the next step in our journeys toward heart health? Our steps matter, and together, we can do this thing. We can walk home to Jesus with a measure of sure victory because we are his chosen dwelling. Rarely will it breathe easy, but always will it breathe with the hope of heaven.
“Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God…” (Hebrews 12:12-15a).
or the magnificent glory of a morning run! See to it, friends, see to it. And thus I pray…
Keep us to the path of our long obedience, Lord, which leads in only one direction—home to you. Strengthen our frames to do that which our souls need to do, rather than what our emotions cry out to do. Show us the beauty and lavish expression of your heart, so that we in turn will chose to tend to ours. And when all seems too hard and too costly, fill our frames with the wind of your Spirit who breathes sacred perspective over all our “seeming” until our seeming fades beneath the truth of our becoming. Thank you, Father, for your good discipline that is leading me on to my completion. And while it sometimes hurts and requires a hard humbling, I know you mean it for my holy. Thus, I gladly yield to your staff and to your rod this day. Amen.
Copyright © August 2008 – Elaine Olsen. All rights reserved.
A big “Amen!” from my little corner of the world. Beautifully expressed!
Wow!! This is what I needed to hear this morning. It was a kick in the bottom to get me refocused on the goal and the prize… thank you!!
My goodness…I needed that today, not just for the good reminder to “stay to it” with regard to my spiritual heart health, but it was a swift kick in the pants from the Lord, as He’s been on me about my physical heart health (not to mention just my plain “physical”!)
I hate me some exercise, girl – HATE. IT. It is ALWAYS a difficult choice for me to make and one that I’ve not been making enough here of late. So, point taken – from both of you!
Elaine,
Ever since a little incident on the floor at bible study this last month, my left hip, lower back, knee, etc are all not cooperating with having a power walk.
But I’m thankful for spiritual walking for my health God is providing, early in the morning!
I wanted to tell you, how I loved the definition of discipline by Eugene Peterson. That speaks volumes!
Love to you,
Yolanda
NO. . . Say it isn’t so!
Can I really find myself in the middle of some hard decisions, living the effects of some bad ones, standing here wondering if the the walk is worth the process, looking back for a do-over, hitting the snooze button in hopes of a better day ALL at the same time.
Good grief. Can I just say I love the next sentence. ALOT. I needed it. I am thanking God for it. Thanking Him for you, and that you went running and came back with this. . .
No matter. What does matter, however, is what we choose to do with our now.
I’m gonna chew on that today. Tomorrow. And the next.
Now ~ is what matters.
You are SO right…I need to remind myself, “what am I doing in my now?”
Just this week…I was beginning to exhale…thinking I had made it…to the top of the mountain. Then, as I looked over the edge of the mountain…the destination I thought I had reached…wasn’t there..rather…the only way for me to move, was to return BACK down the mountain. Sigh…:-/
Life’s funny that way…just when I was SO sure…God was leading in a certain direction…he wasn’t. My mind wants to be so full of…how did I miss his direction? You really don’t hear from God? Yet…my heart knows that he knows best.I’m realizing for me, God’s working in my heart to be content in my circumstances…regardless of what they are.
The only way I can make it BACK down the mountain, into this wilderness valley, is by knowing his nail scared hands will be with me…each step of the way!
Thanks for blessing my heart today.
This really hit home to me today! I’m pretty weak in both my physical and spiritual disiciplines right now! To my shame! I guess I have become lazy….or at the very least took my eyes off the goal. Physically I am having a bout with my lower back and it seems to be also affecting my spiritual life….which it shouldn’t….but it has! Thanks for the admonition today! I need to get back on the course!
God bless you Friend!
Marilyn in MS
Obedience. Discipline. All things I battle daily. Thanks for the beautiful message to keep me focused! Blessings.
This post really inspired me. I truly needed to hear God’s message to me here.
“It means getting up, day in and evening out, and living the truth of who we are as children of the Most High God, even when our preferred inclination leans toward the snooze button.”
Oh that is so meeeeeee. Meet Mrs. Snooze button. Hopefully, I’m awake now.
I just want to say, “Ditto, to what all the first comments said.”
I needed to hear this today. With school starting Monday, I have been very aware of getting up and taking care of my spiritual and physical needs first thing in the morning, whether I “feel” like it or not.
Thank you for the confirmation here today.
Also, on another note, I received my workbook in the mail yesterday, so I started it today. I can tell that I am going to love it already.
I will let you know how it goes.
God Bless,
Amy:)
As Dumbledore told Harry Potter, “Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”
I don’t quote Harry Potter a lot but it so fits your discussion today…choice, right over easy, Jesus over the world…He never fails us when we give him our hearts! Amen to you and to what He had you write today, thanks!
I was just thinking today about how when I’m playing softball I dread the night of a game. When the game is over I feel soooo much better than I did before I played. The exercise makes me feel good even though I’m hot and tired. I began to think about that as God and me winning the victory over satan. That when it’s over the victory feels so good. I know for the most part I’m not playing my best game…discipline. I’ll keep swinging….
I actually thought about posting something along these lines…maybe I’ll get the chance tonight.
Blessing and love your way….
Leaving this post with some bruised toes.:) But that is a good thing…or maybe I should say a God thing.
It is time to get up and get moving again…I miss Him.
Hey Elaine,
This is a good post for me to read. It is encouraging, and I need encouragement:) I want to be disciplined in the Word and learning, and in bodily exercise both:) These verses are powerful too.
katiegfromtennessee
Oh Elaine, this is a perfect God word for my heart tonight. There are so many treasures within this writing. You wrote, “…it matters not how it sounds or feels. What matters is the choice to embrace the journey.”
Oh to embrace the journey God has placed before me today. Not one of my choosing. What will be my next step? Surrender to His will and His way. “Rarely will it breathe easy, but always will it breathe with the hope of heaven.”
He is the air I breathe. Inhaling His peace and presence,
Joy
Beautiful, Elaine. Thank you for the reminder and the power boost. Thank you for setting an example for those of us who like coming here to follow; and not just saying fancy words. You are a blessing.
I love the quote…
As Eugene Peterson would say, “a long obedience in the same direction.” It doesn’t sound too exciting, does it?
We may feel like we are on a treadmill going nowhere. But as we were walking – God was moving the treadmill to a new adventure.
Thank you Elaine. You have such a gift!!
I think this post speaks to every one of us at one point or another for we all have feet of clay. Going by the many blog comments that I read I think you are right that “a blessed few are skipping along with pure contentment.”
You also said, “Many of you are weary” I could put my name on that one. When one feels worn out and weary you can lose that keen edge and desire to be more disciplined.
When I was the age of many of the ladies that are writing comments I thought that when I got to my age I would be a mature saint waiting for the golden bells to ring. But I find I am still in a body of flesh that is so lacking. And I am more and more thankful for God’s mercy, grace,love, and long suffering for my giving in too often to the weakness of the flesh.
I think we all appreciate the words that you give to us that make us think and to strive to do better and keep our eyes on those things that have eternal value.
you are loved..
mary
Oh, Elaine. I am praying that prayer with you, and longing for just the same. This is just what I needed. Wow.
wifeforthejourney:
This morning my temptation is not the snooze button but just the business of the day. Thank you for your gracious reminder that my own “heart health” starts with Christ and not my calendar of events.
Love you!
Billy
As I find myself tempted this morning to
beautiful post! Praise Jesus when He unexpectedly blesses us with ‘morning’s glory’ when we least expect it…especially in the midst of our obedience!!! Thanks for the inspiration to keep excercizing, too…I needed a boost today!!
” a long obedience”, I like that. It has a nicer ring than discipline doesn’t it? It is still hard, but it sounds much nicer.:) Thanks so much for the beautiful words and the food for thought. I am always nourished when I read your posts.
Blessings,
Marita
Good Morning Elain,
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy reading your Blog!! Being so far away from my family is hard at times, but coming here makes the distant seem so much less..
I go by Carolyn now out here at Fox and with every1 I meet now.. I basically married my first and middle names, and voila~ Mom let her middle name ‘Carol’ go when she changed it to Scott, so I guess I’m not the first to do so, 😉 My ex bf called me Carol, and I truly never liked it that much, anyhow..
Sending you big hugs and thank you so much for your treasured Blog!!
hugs,
Cousin CLK
oops!** Obviously, Blogging and WORK don’t mix! Sorry about that!
Make that Dear Elaine 🙂
Your post reminded me of some wise words my friend once told me: Discipline (choosing to do that which I do not want to do) leads to desire which leads to delight. May I choose to deny myself and find as I discipline myself that He has changed my “want to”!
Blessings!
…and p.s., reading your words this morning is just what He ordered..
Beautiful!
AMEN! As my dear friend, Brother Billy often asks . . . “is you phone ringing? Someone knockin’ at your door?” You rang my phone, knocked at my door, kicked me in the gluteus maximus and stepped on all ten toes today. THANKS!
Have you ever thought of compiling your writing into a daily devotional? Even if it’s just made available to your loyal readers to purchase for themselves and friends? Hmmmmm? Christmas is coming!
Hugs and Blessings from the creek!
Elaine, I had to come back to read this one again. It is so beautiful and I’m telling you, like motivation in my pocket.
You have a gift from the Lord. Use it, dear sister, for His glory. Follow that door He is opening to you.
Like many others, this was the challenge (kick in my backside!) I’ve needed for a while now. It’s perplexing to me that while my spiritual discipline has grown in recent months, my physical discipline has waned. I’m asking God to help keep me faithful to BOTH. Love the quote from Eugene Peterson. I think I’ll be printing and posting that one.
Yielding with you,
Tracy
“Fully living our sacred adoption is our good and gracious requirement if we are ever to share in his holiness and to reach our perfected end. This is the overriding truth that keeps me on the path, friends. Not my emotions or my feelings. They’ve run the show for most of my life and almost always run counterproductive within God’s agenda for me.
Thus, I am learning to deny them their unhealthy portion of influence. Instead, I am filling my life with the discipline of Jesus.”
Wow! Yes! Amen!