Working on Motivation

I'd like to consider myself a moderately active person when it comes to fitness and health. The slugging of thousands of hay bales when I was younger (which is why I like to wear plaid today) and countless miles of jogging can attest to that. Someone gave me some profound advice when I was younger, "Start healthy living habits early, because before you know it, it will catch up to you". At the time I laughed it off as I finished eating my Big Mac, and then went on to devouring my daily bag of potato chips and heaping bowl of ice cream dripping with fudge sauce, marsh mellows, chocolate chips and peanuts. Are you hungry yet?


Along the way that tidbit of advice started to settle in. Ever since, I've been really conscious of staying healthy and active. But recently, life has been getting hard and busy. Life circumstances have been making it difficult to have the energy to be active. I've been finding it difficult to keep to a regular routine and consume nutritious food. So in my lack of motivation I started to consider the following:

What if I didn't do my best to stay healthy and fit? What if I wasn't able to lug my sound gear to concerts because I was too weak and lazy? Or have the lung capacity to be able to sing a two hour show? What if I wasn't able to play with my kids because I got too tired? What if wasn't able to walk up stairs because I was overweight?

I realized the answer to each of these questions is that it prevents me from effectively being able to do what God is calling me to. It would directly limit what I could do in ministry, in my family life, in my relationships, etc. And why? Because I didn't want to make the choice to live out life with the understanding that, "Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit" - 1 Corinthians 6:19.

So when I don't feel motivated to get out of bed in the morning, or to get off the couch at night, or to decline the 2000 calorie grease-burger; I can take it to God.

"God, give me the strength to live out the life You are calling me to. Help me to have the courage and motivation to make good and healthy choices. Enable me to stand firm in You and nurture the life You have given me so I can use it to glorify You in all things. - Amen."

What motivates you?