Living One Day At A Time (2)

Repeatedly, we hear doctors encouraging us to exercise every day.  Simply walking 25 minutes a day has been shown to keep us fit and add years to our lives.  It's useful advice for our physical well-being only if we put it into practice. In our life with God in recovery we need to develop healthy spiritual muscles for our non-physical well-being.  Taking daily inventory is one practice many have found to be helpful. 

Train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.   (1 Timothy 4:7-8 NLT)

How many times have we watched athletes and marveled at the ease with which they perform their sport?  We realize that they developed that ability through disciplined rigorous training which sets the true athlete apart from the spectator.  This type of daily discipline is required if we are to live one day at a time in God's will, under God's direction. We need to let the principles of God’s word as recorded in the Bible, challenge, stretch, and develop us as we draw close to Him and live in the light of His presence. 

Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us. (2 Timothy 3:17 MSG)

What are we doing from day to day, even moment by moment, to train ourselves to listen and respond to the voice of God?  What tools are we using to help us learn and grow?  In what ways are we challenging ourselves to do what needs to be done, particularly when we don’t feel like doing it? We need to surrender to God and His principles in order to form new habits.  As we discipline ourselves we will have some discomfort but we need to be resolute to “press on” or “hang on”.  Every new muscle that the athlete stretches lets him or her know that it is being stretched, but the discomfort is temporary, and the fitness level that results is long term.

If we choose to discipline ourselves, regardless of how we feel, we will experience surprising truths about the principles of how life with God in recovery works.  We must not expect overnight results, but as we continue to practice God’s principles one day at a time, the long term benefit will be a life that is good, pleasing and perfect. 

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