A Lesson from Paul

It's Sunday.  Superbowl Sunday, as a matter of fact.  And today I was thinking about Paul.  You know, Paul, the Apostle Paul, who wrote quite a bit of the New Testament.

Whether you are a person of faith and spirituality or not, there are some lessons to be learned from Paul's writings.  He was a master philosopher and had human nature pretty well pegged.

Even he struggled with various aspects of it.  Decision making.  Acting in accordance with your highest goals and aspirations.

The text that I am so drawn to today is in Romans.

Romans 7:15-20

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature^[d] a slave to the law of sin.


There are many times when I ask myself "why did I JUST do that?!"  Usually it has something to do with a poor spending decision that doesn't take our family closer to our financial goals of being debt-free, OR it has something to do with a poor food or drink choice that doesn't coincide with the long-term and short-term health goals I have for myself.  Sometimes I will act in a contrary manner to that which I DESIRE to do.  Why is this?  

Well depending on your belief system, you will have an answer that satisfies and falls in line with what you believe.  Being that I believe Paul's words as the "Gospel Truth" I know that it just is what it is, and is it's own version of "Stop.  Challenge.  Choose."

There are two directions I can go with my health goals.  Towards them, or away from them.  When I choose to eat or drink something that is not consistent with what I have SAID that I wanted, one of two things is going on.  First, the possibility exists that I don't TRULY want what I have SAID that I want.  Nope.  I KNOW that this is NOT the case in my life.  So, the alternative is that sometimes we humans are inconsistent.  Sometimes we act in the EXACT opposite way to which we want to act.  Paul calls it sin.  I agree that in sinful endeavors, it can be called sin.  But food and drink decisions?  I don't classify these as "sinful choices" but rather a highlighting of the inconsistencies of man, and the desire to gratify something right NOW at the expense of something that we wanted EVENTUALLY.  In other words, Human Nature.

What separates us from the animals is our ability to transcend our instincts, though, and to CHOOSE something that will eventually fulfill our goals and aspirations.  Animals can't do that, at least I have never met one that told me he/she COULD, so I'll operate on the notion that animals lack that ability to choose in that way, to have a set of beliefs which guide their actions.

Sometimes my set of beliefs about my health and my ability to maintain optimal health is challenged BY MY OWN ACTIONS.  In these instances I relate wholeheartedly to Paul and his words are my words.

WHAT I DO in these moments really does matter.

I have two choices.  I can continue to act in a manner that is inconsistent with who I have decided to be and the life I have decided to live, OR I can pull my head out, center myself, remember WHO I AM and begin to live in accordance with my higher goals, values, and aspirations.

I choose the latter.

Sometimes I choose the latter every day.

Sometimes I choose the later every second.

Sometimes I don't choose the latter, and it is in these moments when I must Stop!  Challenge!  Choose! and give myself the opportunity to recalibrate and reconnect with those values and aspirations.

Here is what is true about me, these are the facts:

1)  I have worked very hard creating the life that I desire.
2)  I am a runner and am training for the Paris Marathon
3)  It will take effort to maintain this lifestyle I've created
4)  Sometimes I don't feel like putting forth the effort
5)  I am a fit and healthy woman whose body will ALWAYS follow the instructions I give it
6)  I need to be the steward, the gatekeeper, of those instructions and always be vigilant

This is what I know.

This is what I come back to, even after a day or even days of NOT behaving in a manner consistent with my goals.

I love the phrase "I'm only human".  Yes.  I AM human.  And BECAUSE I am human I have been given the responsibility of being a good steward of my life and the life of my family.  I have been given the power to choose.  I have educated myself regarding health, and the proper tools to LIVE the life I want to live and to honor my family, myself, and my faith.

And I will do that to the best of my ability.

Rinse and Repeat!