Some of you, as I did, may have started off your new year with an effort to get into better shape than you were last year. And some of you, as I do, may be experiencing some physical discomforts, whether it is because your joints and muscles are being used in ways that they hadn’t been used, or your digestive system is getting used to a new set of inputs. You certainly might be a bit more tired, as you try to fit more activity into your daily schedule. These first few weeks of trying to establish new habits can be hard, and it is precisely this difficulty that causes so many to give up on their resolutions before the month of January comes to a close.
You would think that establishing new habits that are better for us physically and mentally would be easy, since we are seeking to function as we were designed to live. However, what we might overlook as we seek the new, is that getting to that new vision requires making a break from the old habits that got us to a place that we are now seeking to leave behind. And the thing about breaks is that breaks often hurt or are, at least, uncomfortable. But that doesn’t mean that we are wrong to make those breaks.
Our bodies are designed to accomplish remarkable feats, being fueled by food and restored by rest. Unfortunately, in our society that has tremendous wealth and emphasizes the pursuit of pleasure, we’ve put food and rest as the pinnacle of life, as opposed to the experiences that food and rest are supposed to make possible. We’ve made food unhealthier by adding empty calories and chemicals that make them sweeter or more addictive. We’ve sought all sorts of labor-saving devices that let us sit comfortably in our chairs. We’ve made these screens of ours so appealing that instead of going outside to play or exercise, we are captivated indoors. In the process, our limbs no longer get used and stretched like they used to, and the weight starts building in places that used to be lean. We get so focused on the immediate ease and pleasure that we fail to see the long-term implications, until we finally look in the mirror, the scale, or the eyes of the doctor and realize that we must make a change.
That change doesn’t come easily. Gently stretching muscles and working on flexibility that has been lost due to years of neglect generates discomfort, but eventually the discomfort goes away and your body can do more, which may make the difference between being able to live independently as you get older or needing constant assistance. Changing your diet may mean eating less dessert or drinking fewer sodas today won’t please your taste buds as much, but the weight that you lose means less stress on your joints over the years which ultimately translates into less pain. The new habits that we are trying to establish may be uncomfortable and inconvenient today, but they are intended to bring about a much more enjoyable future.
At the heart of it, that is what the Christian life is like. We are called to be disciplined, to make choices that defer maximum pleasure today in order to optimize joy over a lifetime that extends far into the future. It takes faith to embrace a future reward that we cannot see, but the works that we do demonstrate whether we truly believe that the reward is worth it. This is why faith without works isn’t really faith. What we do in life demonstrates what our priorities really are.
So, if you are struggling with challenges and discomfort as a result of your attempts to break old habits and create new ones, realize that what you do next will show what you truly value. Do you believe that deferring pleasure and ease today will bring long-term reward? The next step is up to you.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron