This has been popping in my mind over the last 2-weeks so I’m going to get it out of my head and see what you think of it. Everytime it has the Bob Dylan songs seems to come with it!
“You’re gonna have to serve somebody. It may be the devil or it may be the Lord but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” - Bob Dylan
I try to read my Bible every morning. Just a few minutes. Sometimes it’s helpful, sometimes I’m glad I wasn’t alive then, sometimes it’s tricky, sometimes I wish I could have been there. I need to add, I’m no biblical scholar and my faith is strong but complicated. I am rarely if ever on a religious or spiritual high. I get jealous of those who are.
But, I learn when I read it and I’m trying to use more if what’s in there to effect what I do “out here!”
In Romans 6:16-19 it says this…
“16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.” (NIV)
Back to me…
What I get from this is you can be a slave to sin leading to death or a slave to good choices leading to life. Either way you are a slave. There is a negative or obligatory tone to this section. A sense it’s not easy either way.
I’m going to tie this into health and weight loss because I do this often.
Before you were a slave to junky food, oversized portions, and unactive busyness.
Now you are a slave to health food, moderate portions, and exercise/activity.
As Bob Dylan says above “you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”
The junky food etc leads to a certain path and future and the healthy blaa blaa leads to a different direction. Either way there is punishment. There is reward. It feels like you are serving/working hard either way.
It’s hard to exercise regularly
AND
It’s hard to climb stairs or put your shoes on when you are heavy or unhealthy.
It’s hard to eat healthy, plan ahead, pay attention to portions
AND
It’s hard to go to the Dr, pick up meds, remember to take them, deal with side-effects.
There is no easy solution to this. Even in the Bible (Romans) there is more struggle between these two forces after this section.
One thing is clear…
We have been given the power to choose. We might not do it right all the time but the more we choose the healthier path the better the LONG-term results will be.
Choose who/what you will serve today closely. I will too.
God Bless,
Jeremy “talltrainer” Biernat
For quick, helpful, and free tools visit www.refuseaverage.com
P.S. I'm also interested in your spiritual health...if you want to talk about it please email me [email protected]
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