Independently Dependent

In the beginning we are told of Adam and Eve in the garden.  A familiar story to most,  We look in on the first people and we know that they were given instructions not to eat of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil."  In this brief instruction we can deduce that man was given free will, the ability to choose.  Since that fateful day man has been exercising that will in many ways both productive and counterproductive.

How do we take full advantage of that gift today?  This question and how we answer it makes all the difference in our lives.  We must first recognize that there is a God who did not create a world of programmed robots blindly following his commands.  Rather he created intelligent beings, capable of thought, feeling, and meaningful relationships.  As such these beings, us, can chart our own course in this life with all the various tools He has provided.  To begin taking full advantage we need to look back at the Creator and get to know Him through His word, The Bible.  Daily study of this book will influence the way we think like no other book ever written.  When taken in with an honest mind and a receptive spirit, it will change us and lead us to seek a relationship with the creator.  This relationship when fostered and built up will give us a peace and confidence in all situations that cannot be found anywhere else.  We call this joy.

Not only do we need to grow our knowledge of God's ways and follow after Him but this will lead us to serve others.  God's Son Jesus was the ultimate servant leader.  He came to Earth from Heaven and lived among us, facing the challenges we face yet remained blameless.  No other god, all produced by man, is capable of such a thing.  In the other religions the gods are set apart in a different way, to be served in all things.  Under Christianity, Jesus served all the way to the Cross where He gave up His life that His followers might be able to experience His glory in heaven, reconciling anyone who would choose to follow Him in obedience to His Word.

Yet with the independence we are given most choose to throw it away and smirk saying "that's not for me, or it's a nice myth".  Then they go about living for themselves, the gods of humanism.  What a sad place the world becomes as this me-centered mindset grows and takes firmer root.

We each must examine ourselves, independently, and recognize our dependence upon God.  When we submit in this way the world looks very different.  The decisions we are faced with take on a different meaning.  In short we are independently dependent.  No one can make the decision for us, and no one else will face the ultimate consequences of our decisions, though some will certainly be impacted by them.

This all translates to our fitness as well.  We need to recognize that we have a choice to make.  Eat the doughnuts, grab the fruit, or some blend of the two.  Do we exercise and gain the benefits of action which build over time, or crash on the couch falling into the trap of inactivity?  Relating the two thoughts in another way.  In order to fully serve the God that created us and gave us the independence to choose, we should do what we can to choose the better path for our fitness.  This will, in most cases, result in a better mindset, more mental clarity, and the physical ability to serve Him and help others.

Take a moment to think about this, then make the decision to DO WELL!