I Won.......and Lost.

So a couple of posts ago I hinted at some news that I was awaiting. Well, I got the news this morning in my email, about a week after I thought I was going to get the news.  Starting in early August I had bought a new workout program and was going to give it a try.  I have been known to try out various programs from time to time (P90X, Visual Impact, others...) and this one intrigued me.  The other part about this workout was that the designers also host a body transformation contest a couple times a year for people who have bought the program at some point.  Well, I decided I would enter the contest just for fun thinking it would help keep me accountable to my workouts. I also thought it would be fun to see the before and after pictures.  The program lasted 12 weeks and ended right before Thanksgiving.  Needless to say, after all the intense dieting the last couple weeks leading up to my final pictures, I was ready for a Thanksgiving feast. Anyway, long story short, I ended up winning 2nd place in the transformation contest. Yeah!!!! Not so fast.  The title of my blog says I won.....and lost. I titled it this way because I became alarmingly aware of some things during this contest. How can a man have such commitment and focus to something as fleeting as the shape and form of his body and yet have such neglect and poor health in his spiritual body.  This contest required me to go to the gym Monday - Friday about 5:30 AM and workout for approximately 50-70 minutes a day. I did not miss one workout.  For some reason, several days out of the week I could not find enough time to fit my personal quiet time in or read a passage out of my Bible. Can anyone say misplaced priorities?  Jim Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose".  I traded something that I couldn't have lost for that which I will DEFINITELY lose. I am here to say that I lost and was a fool. Please don't misunderstand me, I don't think working out and staying in shape is wrong, in fact God calls us to take care of our temples. 

 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

But when that activity encroaches on your time spent with God and growing in that relationship it becomes an idol and sin.  I thank my friend Craig and his recent posts testifying to the life God has called us to live.  It has helped me regain some much needed focus regarding what is eternal and what is temporal.  I do enjoy working out and plan to continue in this activity but I also have this on my radar and know that it is an area of my life that Satan would love to see come between me and my Lord. I will be taking steps to ensure I am being held accountable for my time spent in His Word and consistently growing in my walk with the Lord.  Lord give me a hunger for your Word that nothing this world has to offer can take away.

P.S. I won a little prize money for that contest which I had worldly plans for ($350), but I know the people down at the Shawnee Rescue Mission will have a much better use for it. Merry Christmas!

P.S.S. Some people wanted to see the pictures so here is a link to the website if you dare. I don't plan on ever running for political office:)