The Dirty Little ‘D’ Word
by Diana Scothorn
Every morning my husband and I get up at 4:00 a.m. to begin our day. As my feet touch the floor we pray together, then work out and we each spend quiet time alone in the Word. This all takes place before we leave for work.
Having a fitness background, I know the importance of…
…working out before becoming too exhausted to fit it into my schedule! I also know this is something that I am committed to, no matter what! There are no questions asked; I workout, period! It’s not an option to not work out!
My commitment has developed a no-tolerance policy for excuses. It’s my responsibility to keep my body as the living temple of God. On so many occasions, I do not feel like getting up early because my body still feels tired. On those days, I most certainly do not feel like working out!
I’ve trained myself to get up and not ask my body if it feels like lifting weights or doing an aerobic workout! I do not hesitate. As the Nike slogan says, I JUST DO IT!
Galatians 5:17 -24 says, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”
It’s incredible how even though I may have days where it didn’t feel like I had the most intense workout, I still felt victory, simply because I didn’t give in to my body’s suggestion to skip the workout altogether.
Each time I do what I do, even when I do not feel like doing it, my flesh learns it’s not in control! The best way to discipline your flesh (your mind, will, and emotions) is to starve it! If you starve anything long enough, it will die!
To starve can be translated, don’t give in to your feelings. The devil wants us to go by how we feel. God wants us to subject our body, mind, and our will to His Will, His Way, and His Word. I learned it’s not the sporadic hard workouts that make a difference but the consistent daily workouts which produce results!
The same is true with the Word of God. It’s not the time in the Word but consistently getting the Word and receiving His truth that produces results. God’s Word is not based on our feelings, but His Truth. The Truth of God’s Word will teach us to be good disciples.
A disciple is translated as a disciplined one. Disciple comes from a Latin word meaning “learner,” and that dirty little ‘D-word’ so many hate, DISCIPLINE, comes from the Latin word representing “instruction-knowledge.” Instruction and knowledge of the truth come from the Word of God! Jesus is the instructor, and we are the student!
We don’t t question our instructor but do as He says. Our body, mind, and will are not our master; Jesus is our Master! We are to become disciples to do as He instructs, not how we feel! A disciple believes in Jesus, studies His Word, and imitates His ways. The devil wants our feelings, emotions, and body to be the “master” of our life!
It’s incredible when I give in to my feelings about my day first thing in the morning; I comprise my day before it even begins. At the very least, if I work out, I have accomplished not giving in to my feelings, regardless of how long I worked out!
When we compromise, we become conflicted. Satan wants us to quit; better yet, he wants us to never begin. When we allow how we feel to get involved, we’ll always want to take the easy way out and try and make up for it later.
I will eat this piece of cake tonight and work out longer tomorrow morning. The problem is, tomorrow, you don’t feel like working out, and your disappointment about blowing it yesterday punishes you by eating everything in sight today! Compromise leads to regret and consequences!
I’ve wasted a lot of time in my life, not doing what needed to be done initially. It’s a daily “self-talk” to not give in to myself, but it’s worth the talk!
I’m continually learning although Jesus cares about my feelings, He doesn’t want how I feel to run my life. It’s wise not to ask my feelings about what I want to do. The wisdom of God’s Word guarantees results. It’s better to do what I do not want to do today, to have the results I want tomorrow!
I challenge you to get the New Year off to a good start! Don’t ask, just do it!
~Diana
Diana Scothorn has a heart for helping women succeed, with a focus on a strong, spiritual, mental, and physical core. Diana’s background in the health and fitness world began with one of the most iconic names in fitness, Richard Simons. Overseeing ladies’ health clubs for 10 plus years allowed Diana to step into a passion for marketplace ministry even before ministering the gospel in business was widely accepted.
She’s been married to her prince charming, Stewart, going on 12 years, and they enjoy spending time with their 4 kids and 8 grandchildren. Both are ordained ministers of the Gospel, serve on the board of several well-known ministries, and are also co-owners of, The Benefit Link, Inc., a marketplace ministry business, which has been number one in the field for over 25 years and is licensed in all 50 States, serving senior citizens in need of compassion, prayer, and guidance when facing the challenges of the Medicare maze.
Diana’s been featured in Society Magazine’s Successful Business Women of the Year for 2018, 2019, and 2020. As an international speaker, Diana has traveled abroad for over 10 years, along with her husband, to help support missions throughout Europe and South America, focusing on funding the Kingdom and advancing the gospel.
Connect with Diana on Instagram and Facebook, where she has “Diana’s Daily Devotionals” encouraging and inspiring women to live daily in victory.
