The Biggest Loser - No Make that Winner

It is a challenge to avoid knowing about the show The Biggest Loser. Across the country there are towns, cities, counties even entire states that are getting involved in helping people loose weight.

The thing about that program is the regimen the contestants find themselves pursuing. It involves everything - workouts, competitions, diet and retooling their rethinking in order to shed pounds.

When you watch the early weeks of the show people are bitching, moaning, and complaining about the workouts, the food, and the competitions. Nevertheless, as they continue, they see the benefits involved in all three of those disciplines as the pounds disappear.

When competitors are voted off or at the final "weigh in" here is a paraphrase of what you hear most often. "It helped me to think differently about how I eat, how I see myself, and it taught me the discipline necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle."

It is true the people voted off are told "You are not the biggest loser" and the person who wins is hailed as THE biggest loser, the reality is, they all win! They have learned things about themselves they would have never learned outside that experience. Why? Because they were under an umbrella of discipline that pushed them beyond what they thought were their limits.

The writer of Proverbs says, "My son, do not despise the LORD'S discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights (Proverbs. 3:11-12)." These verses are quoted by the writer of Hebrews when he talks about discipline and how it "yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews. 12:3-11)."

God disciplines us for specific reasons. Not because he delights in the exercise, rather because He delights in the beneficial outcome of the exercise. He wants us to stretch ourselves beyond what we think are our limits. I don't always see it that way. Like the contestants on the television show, I complain, resist and lament my circumstances. Yet, like most, in hindsight, I often see clearly how the discipline was "for my good" (Hebrews. 12:10) but while it is going on, I seldom regard it as beneficial.

"Now discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11)." That word train is the Greek word "γυμνάζω" or goom-nad-zo. It is the word from which he get gymnasium. We all know what happens in a gymnasium and it ain't tea parties!

If millions of Americans across the country can discipline themselves to work out and shed pounds wouldn't it be nice if the Christian community could take the same approach to spiritual disciplines? To react with enthusiasm toward the "peaceful fruit of righteousness" that comes from being trained in God's gymnasium.

It may not be pleasant at the time, but one thing we can be assured of, our parents "disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he (GOD) disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness (Hebrews. 12:10)."

Father, there is no doubt that I resist your discipline. I often even rebel against it. Help me to see that it is for my good, to generate a certain level of holiness and the peaceful fruit of righteousness.