Getting all more physically exhausted and less the usual sleep so I had to stay in bed today. My period has also stopped for a while and when it went through, it was just sort of spotting. I've been pushing myself to some limits in the past days, many times I'd almost passed out but so far everything's been worth it. Those parts were like enduring testings and trials in life. It has been a metaphor for me that enduring physical pains through discipline is persistence to our spirit. Like running the Christian marathon to faithfulness.
James 1: 2-4 says 'Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
As our bodies are being tested to agility through painstaking disciplines (fasting, exercising, food portion control, taming tongue), our faith is tested when we face different trials. How do we respond to testing is what it is. Our persistence despite delays and hurts are produced in enduring sickness and diseases, and enduring the world. It must not be on our own alone though, we need something more powerful than our will to endure this, and that's the work of the glory-strength that God gives.
Colossians 1:11-12 MSG 11 We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul - not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy,
12 thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.
That's how discipline becomes joyful, as stated in James 1:2 when it says consider if pure joy. When we get that kind of strength that God gives and overflows in us.
We can only run the race of life buy focusing ourselves to Jesus. The author and finisher of our faith.
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