About two years into my journey towards healing in my life, I felt God say, “We’ve worked on your spiritual and emotional health. Now it’s time to work on your physical health.” So I joined a gym and hired a trainer.

Not long into my program, I learned an important truth — the brain is the biggest muscle in the gym. If I wanted to get healthier, I had to work against the voices in my head that told me to quit when I was tired. Through my workouts, I realized that the path to success required suffering in my body. When I wanted to stop, I told myself, “one more rep.....one more minute.... make the better food choice.”

The Apostle Peter encouraged the early church by explaining that physical suffering brings us closer to holiness because sin is rooted in our flesh. Think about it... our choices trip us up when we give in to our fleshly desires instead of choosing godliness.

Our unhealthy bodies are the result of eating more convenient yet nutrient-poor food. We overspend because our bodies desire comfort and security. We grumble when it makes us feel better to complain rather than accept imperfect circumstances.

Sin always offers us the path of least resistance. When we choose to live in Christ’s example, it is never the easy road. Jesus suffered in his body to give us the path to life. Let’s walk down that path, even when it means suffering.

Lord, help me on this road that leads to suffering. Help me arm myself with the same attitude as Jesus and see suffering as a path to holiness. Amen.

Go Deeper — Write down areas in your life where you are prone to look for the easy path rather than God's will in order to avoid suffering. Pray and ask God to help you walk down the road toward holiness in his strength.

Read Further — Stretching ourselves to reach a goal God has set for our lives can be tough, but it is Living Life to the Fullest.



Tags: The Letters of Peter 1 Peter 4
Photo Credit: Jens Johnsson