a STRONG CORE

You've heard it time and again...the importance of having a STRONG CORE.  Whether it be to perform regular, everyday tasks, get through hard workouts in the gym, or for stellar athletic performance, I doubt anyone disagrees that a STRONG CORE is key. 

About this time a year ago, I experienced "going under the knife" for the 1st time ever (I consider myself BLESSED to have been 31 years old, and never to have had surgery).  I had a small umbilical hernia (due to pregnancy).  (It only took 5 years for it to bother me enough to want to get it taken care of :).  What prompted me to get it fixed? #1:  the pain it was causing. #2:  the fact that it was hindering my workouts.  There were certain exercises I couldn't perform because of a weakness in my core. 

Having a STRONG CORE:

~provides a solid foundation for every movement
~stabilizes
~supports
~protects from injury
~makes it possible to stand upright
~distributes the stresses of weight-bearing
~helps control movements, transfer energy, shift body weight, etc.

A STRONG CORE holds "everything" together, and allows us to generate  powerful movements.

You may be wondering where I'm going with this...much to your surprise, this is not a post about how to get a strong core, physically! 

This morning during worship service, I was challenged!  We had a wonderful guest speaker (with the last name Pennington. Unfortunately, I don't remember his first name).   It was one of those mornings where I felt like the message was for ME...you know, when the sermon just hits real close to home!  It's as if God, in His infinite wisdom, invited me to dinner so that He could discuss some things with me...He needed to set me strait.

Pennington used 2 great analogies (a merry-go-round and a kingpin) to talk about Jesus and the need for Him to be the CORE of our lives!  As he spoke,  the analogy that came to my mind was that of having a strong core, physically (imagine that :))!

When JESUS is the CORE of our lives we:

~have a solid foundation
~are stabilized
~have support
~have protection
~are able to stand upright
~are able to deal with the stresses of life
~have self control

Jesus holds everything together (Col 1:17).  Jesus generates power.

Sound familiar?? 

Back to my umbilical hernia...a WEAKNESS in my CORE HINDERED my workouts.  I couldn't FULLY perform.  The same happens when we have a weak core, spiritually.  We are HINDERED.  Life doesn't "fall into place" like it should.  Our priorities get out of whack, we experience fear, lack self-control, our thoughts drift, etc.

I am going to be honest...I have struggled with having a strong core...not so much physically, but spiritually.  It's not that I don't know better.  I do.  I realize that NOTHING else really matters.  I realize that everything falls into place when HE is my EVERYTHING! 

This verse stuck with me from this mornings message:  "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life."  John 6:27

It's that constant battle...am I living for the world and "food that spoils", or for Jesus and "food that endures to eternal life"?  The two don't even compare!  This I know.

BALANCE has never been a friend of mine...I'm so ALL or NOTHING!  I tend to be am extreme and often obsessive.  That's just me...I will forever need to pray for balance, moderation.  So today, I was reminded, once again, that I need to re-focus.  I need to find balance.  I need to practice moderation.

Thank you Lord, and Mr. Pennington for today's lesson!