There is an event in Columbus Ohio every February since 1989 called The Arnold. Also known as the Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival if features competitions in professionals bodybuilding, strongman, fitness, figure and bikini competitions over a weekend. It is kind of the Olympics for those so self-absorbed they never leave the gym.
We must give them some credit in this “All About Me” competition because nobody gets to this level of competition without a tremendous amount of work and a 50-gallon barrel of body oil, and Spray Tan.
Even though I have been in Columbus for the past 20 Arnold’s they have not changed me for the better at all. If someone could get in shape by simply wanting to be in shape, then so many more people would have healthier bodies.
This is true in so many areas. If you want to be good at anything you have to work at it. Now there are some people who have unique giftedness like, LeBron James, Christiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, and Tom Brady. Mozart began picking out tunes on the piano at age 3 and began composing at the age of 4. Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals.
Sure, these are people who are gifted far beyond us average Joe’s but none of them would even be known outside their families if they did not put in a tremendous amount of work. They practiced and worked at their skills for hours, days, and years on end to hone those skills and because of that work they became world-class achievers in their field.
The only way for us to achieve freedom from our sexual brokenness and addiction is we must move from wanting it to working for it. As Alcoholic Anonymous says;
“The program works if you work the program.”
In our minds when we are thinking soberly, we want freedom from sexual sin. The problem with many of us is the only way to leave sexual addiction in the past it to walk away from it into the future. The recovering alcoholic doesn’t stop drinking but still spends time at the bar. The junkie does not remain clean and cruise around the hood where he used to buy his smack.
To leave addictive behaviors in our past we need to be moving forward into a future that is the opposite direction from continuing in addiction. We need to do a 180. I know a lot of guys who want to do a 180, however, once they make that U-Turn instead of heading in that opposite direction they camp out in the intersection only to be tempted into doing another 180 which equals 360 and remaining in the cycle of addiction.
My friends, it is not enough to just want it. In the beginning of recovery, you usually want it because something painful has happened. You are not yet ready to be wanting what lies in the opposite direction. You are just NOT wanting the pain you are in and the suffering you have caused your loved ones.
So, isn’t it time for you to work at becoming a more godly man? Imagine what it would be like not have any shame, guilt, and fear because you have no secrets. Imagine walking around and being so much under the influence of the Spirit that sexual temptation has no allure and you no longer feel it pulling on your desires. Can you envision yourself as a loving, patient, joyful, kind, gentle, peaceful man who is strong in self-control?
How would your marriage or relationships with family and friends be better if you are living to give to others what they need instead of taking from others to try and satiate the unending hunger of your flesh?
It is not enough to only want to be more like Jesus. It will take the work of actually being a disciple of Christ instead of an occasional attendee in church with sporadic attempts to have a quiet time. I have an 8-hour quiet time each day. It’s call sleep. What we need is activity time, practice, teamwork, and this consistently if we are going to be living like Jesus.
