day 1404: Perspective and Discipline

While on a pilgrimage walk on the Camino de Santiago (St. James Way) in Spain, I  asked some of the most committed and courageous faith-driven business leaders I know to guest contribute to Purposed worKING.  Enjoy! - Rusty

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"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

Doubled over, dizzy, eyes blurry, dry-heaving...I remember it like it was yesterday. This was the scene twice a year at West Point when I took the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). You see, the test consisted of two minutes of push ups, two minutes of sit ups, and a two mile run. For reasons that make no logical sense, I would invariably exert myself to the point of puking. Why did I subject myself to this pain? I did it because I knew that in the long run (no pun intended), I would benefit from trying my absolute best. I knew this from experience. I knew that I will be healthier, I knew that I would be stronger, I knew that I would shed unwanted excess flesh hanging around my waist, I knew that I would feel a sense of accomplishment. I still try to run regularly and it's still painful but I do it because perhaps my wife finds me more attractive when I do (maybe I'm getting carried away here). In short, I have a long-term perspective.

Having a long-term perspective is a powerful thing. It causes us to do things that are seemingly illogical. Things like subjecting ourselves to pain in the form or exercise. It gives us the discipline to make good decisions. After all, if we have a "now-only" perspective, we would find ourselves pursuing only those things that bring us pleasure and avoid at all costs, anything that might cause us pain. The fact is, we don't. Most of us choose to eat reasonably healthy foods, get moderate exercise at a minimum, and live a healthy lifestyle. In short, we exercise discipline in our lives because we have a long-term perspective.

So it should be with our relationship with Christ. Knowing Christ gives us an eternal perspective. This is a game-changer. Christ makes it easy for us. He promises a life with Him for eternity. We know what our purpose is...for eternity. This knowledge, this perspective, has far-reaching implications for the way we live our lives today. We are called to "run in such a way as to get the prize". When I ran the APFT, I ran in such a way as to get the prize. I often ask myself, "do I live my life in such as way as to get the prize?" I pray for a constant reminder that my prize is a "crown that will last forever". When I have this eternal perspective, I have discipline in my life.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

David Lee