We've gone from being an obese nation to a morbidly obese nation. In others words, experts are saying that we've gone beyond a nation with a lot of overweight people, to a nation of people who are really fat. Indulgence is the name of the game. Walk into any restaurant and you'll be served up a meal with three times our daily necessary calories. We've even turned calorie free coffee into a sugar laden, gut busting latte. Oh and don't forget the extra whip.
Overindulgence pretty much marks our culture. We have very little discipline. Something new comes out and we have to have it. That's why our credit cards are maxed out and our personal debt looks like Mt. Vesuvius. We can't control our spending any more than we can control our waist lines. But the same thing is true when it comes to virtually anything else from sex to video games. We're an addictive society. We just can't seem to know when to quit, to lay off, to walk away, to push back.
Our habits have created health problems, financial problems, relationship problems, perspective problems, time problems, emotional problems, and spiritual problems. Our self-gratification gene and our lack of self-discipline has our life spiralling out of control.
Recently I picked up Dr. Michael Roizen's book, "You on a Diet." It's an interesting and informative albeit sarcastic read on eating and health habits of most Americans. It's not so much that we're all a bunch of couch potatoes, which is probably true; it has more to do with our lack of focus and discipline. Solomon, the richest man who has ever lived, talks of the virtue of self-discipline in Proverbs 23:12. He urges us to apply discipline to our life and to diligently seek understanding or knowledge. The point being so that we won't fall into a self destructive lifestyle.
January is a great month to start new goals. Many make New Year's Resolutions but quickly fall back into old patterns. Killing old destructive or unhealthy habits aren't easy. Starting new ones and getting them implemented in our life is even harder. Self discipline isn't necessarily the simplest path to follow. Start a new exercise program and you have to deal with soreness. That's enough to throw the whole "get healthy" plan out the window. But staying with it is what is necessary to get the desired results.
I like what Roizen points out in his book, plan for failure and be ready to make a "You-turn." Discipline is about getting back on the path after your side trip. As you continue to seek knowledge and understanding from God, you'll be quicker to recognize and avoid the things that get you off-track and you'll enjoy a much healthier, stress free life.
God, thanks for Your Word and Your Spirit to guides us, instruct us, and to help us stay focused in the right direction. Thanks for caring enough about my life to give me the help I need. I confess, that without you in my life I would be a total mess. Give me the insights and discipline through Your Spirit to live a healthy, abundant life.
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