"Physical Endurance"

"O Israel, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield." (Psalms 115:9)

 I know, it sounds a little weird; but in life, sometimes we need a little motivation for these tired and worn out bodies. As I looked up again the meaning of "Israel," I was reminded of the situation Jacob was in when he wrestled all night with the Lord. He was pretty much broken and was about to give up. He had separated himself from his wives and children, as to spare them from what might happen to him, and he had pretty much just given in to whatever might come next. Believe me when I tell you, I know the feeling; it is both fearful and soothing all in one. On the one hand you are given over to all that is bad, imagining every possible outcome; and on the other, you are satisfied by knowing that it all really does not matter. It is a pretty weird place to be, and it is a place where you really do not want to remain; you either need to find a hiding place, or need to get physically motivated to do something, anything, whatever it takes. If we were to look at these three different illustrations, they are all the same, yet they speak to different areas of our lives; the physical, spiritual, and eternal. They all three are important because they all three are designed and created by God. We were not designed to give up! As a matter of fact, the more we physically give up on anything, the more defeated we become. My heart breaks for this new generation of kids, because they are allowed and even encouraged to give up. If it hurts, stop doing it; that is the new normal for the way children are being raised. Sometimes life hurts! Sometimes we need to stop backing away and we need to push forward! Don't get me started, but when did children start telling their parents what they were going to eat? When I was a kid, if I did not eat what my mother made to dinner, I chewed on my pillow that night! I may not have liked everything, like liver and onions, but if I did not eat it, I did not eat. That might not sound like a big deal, but I think that is where it actually starts. It is an attitude of "I don't really have to do what I don't want to do." If I don't like the taste, I don't have to eat it; if I don't like how it feels, I don't need to do it; if I am not comfortable being there, I don't need to be there. It goes on and on, and it really takes away the challenges and opportunities for endurance to be experienced in the lives of our children. It matters quite a bit for us old folks too...

"How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn't have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:10-13) NLT