This summer at church (don’t stop reading here…I’m not going to get all preachy on you) our Pastor was talking about how as a kid he always asked “Do I have to?” when his parents wanted him to do something he hated. He admitted that sometimes his wife asks him to do things and he thinks or says the same thing, “Do I have to?”. I’m sure my husband never thinks that when I ask him for help. š
Take, for example, the pile of bills Pastor Chris needed to go through in order to get his yearly taxes done. Did he have to go through them? Nope. No one was holding a gun to his head. Technically he didn’tĀ have to do them, but he knew he really should get them done for the sake of his marriage, his family, his financial stability and even for the sake of staying out of jail.
Of course, I immediately started thinking about how this could apply to eating healthy and working out. And then, he brought up that very topic.Ā Do you have to take care of yourself physically? Nope. But do you want to feel good and live a long life or do you want to feel tired all of the time and put yourself at risk for many diseases? Do you want to be around (and able) to play with your kids and your grandkids? I assume that most (hopefully all) of you are answering yes to those questions.
Unfortunately, eating healthy and staying fit doesn’t necessarily guarantee a long and/or wonderful life. You may go to bed some night and never wake up or get hit by a car when you’re crossing the street (man that sounds really morbid…sorry). However, taking care of yourself physically certainly gives you a much better chance at living longer and staying healthy, as well as feeling good and enjoying life in the meantime.
Next time you feel like saying “Do I have to?” think aboutĀ the consequences of one decision versus the rewards of the opposing decision. As a new mom back at work, the only realistic time I can get my workout in (without sacrificing precious time with my son or passing out from exhaustion 5 minutes into my warmup) is very early in the morning. I often think to myself when I’m going to bed at night and when I’m waking up to the dreaded early morning alarm, “Do I have to?”. Nope. I don’t have to, but if I want to stay fit and be theĀ healthiest and best me that I can be, yes, I have to. Not to mention I have other goals in mind, like passing the RKC and fitting back into my favorite jeans. If I don’t get my workouts in, there is no way I will be ready for the RKC in April and it will take me longer to fit in my favorite pre-pregnancy jeans.
When it comes to completing things you may not be totally psyched about …think helping out at home, doing your taxes, working out, cooking dinner, paying bills on time, making time to pray or even just making sure to sleep enough, remember that you don’t have to do it, but you should. And sometimes that’s enough.
If this strikes a chord with you and you want to hear the rest…Ā listen to a recording of the Sermon.
What in your life is essential, but you’ve let it drift over into optional?
Such a great post and definitely some food for thought here. I’m currently trying to make my family, friends, and health a priority and blocking out those things that cause me stress…most of which are optional.
That’s such a good point!